top talent in the fleet services industry is a major factor that contributes to retention issues. You can boost your technician retention by making opportunities read- ily available to your new and current team members rather than outside hires. This makes it vital to give new educational opportunities to current employees. For in- stance, many technicians say they would take a job in a different industry if the new company promised to train them. Ongoing professional development gives techni- cians the chance to learn new skills, both technical and human resourced. You can fill in your transportation department skills gap while helping your employees advance within your company. It also keeps your staff ahead of the curve as new management and technical innovations crop up.
New Employees It is also critical to realize that solving the technician
shortage starts with new hires. A recent Automotive Service Excellence survey revealed that 42 percent of new technicians leave trucking within two years. While we do not have concrete school bus technician turnover
statistics, we can infer it may be near the trucking num- ber. Using this comparative drop-off rate highlights the need for engaging the technicians and managers in goal orientated developmental training. As managers, you need to recognize the gap between technicians arriving with a trade school education and your expectations for new technicians. The right training on what a new technician needs to meet your department practice, pol- icy and procedure expectations early on can make new hires feel more prepared and keep promising recruits engaged. You need to stay close to your workforce. Understand
your market goes beyond school busing. Compensate employees fairly for their skillsets. Some of your most important employees for you and for your children are the technicians that keep our school buses up and running. ●
Robert T. Pudlewski is a member of the National School Transportation Association Hall of Fame. He is a retired vice president of fleet operations, maintenance and procurement for Laidlaw.
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