While the state grapples with worker shortages, most notably in transportation, as reported by the Hartford Business Journal [“Driver shortage forces haulers to lift pay, perks to woo workers”], efforts are ongoing to create supply.
While the state grapples with worker shortages, most notably in transportation, as reported by the Hartford Business Journal [“Driver shortage forces haulers to lift pay, perks to woo workers”], efforts are ongoing to create supply.
The CBIA Education & Workforce Partnership, with funding from the Workforce Solutions Collaborative of Metro Hartford, serves as the transportation, distribution, and logistics sector intermediary, providing links to employers, workforce training, and education to address the growing demand for workers in those fields.
After program participants receive training to obtain their commercial drivers' licenses through the New England Tractor Trailer Training School (NETTTS), the partnership provides on-the-job training dollars for employers who hire them. The partnership also convenes a quarterly roundtable — co-chaired by FedEx — of transportation employers to discuss legislative and operational challenges to push for systems change.
Among the initiatives that emerged from those quarterly conversations was the production of a video to encourage women to pursue transportation careers, highlighting how the industry provides great wages, flexibility, and a strong career pathway.
The driver shortage is urgent, to be sure. But employers are working with us to identify solutions, and develop the talent they need.
Andrea Comer,vice president of workforce strategies, CBIA Education & Workforce Partnership
