The Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) has created a new task force to help combat the heavy-duty technician shortage.
The task force has been named “Mentor Development.” It will be led to Homer Hogg of TA-Petro, and will work to give service providers guidance on cultivating and grooming young talent entering the industry.
“This is a challenge we all are facing,” Hogg noted Monday during the task force’s first meeting at the TMC Fall Meeting in Orlando.
Monday’s brainstorming session was an active one. Hogg opened the meeting with a variety of challenges the service industry faces in implementing a successful RP, including mentor productivity, adequate compensation, meaningful recognition, mentor technical qualifications, soft skills, selection process, HR systems and roles and responsibilities.
Grooming new technicians is a challenge for several reasons, attendees note. Not only is the industry short on technicians, the youth entering the industry also view their career and value differently than the businesses hiring them.
Young employees need validation and acceptance. Hogg says this new task force will attempt to tackle that need as well as the mechanical skills necessary to work in today’s service facilities.
Ideally, the task force adds its work will mesh with the soon-to-be RP 1607, “Technician Career Path Development.”
