AASHTO Journal - NMDOT Gets More State Support for Workforce Program

The New Mexico Department of Transportation is getting formal support from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions or NMDWS for NMDOT’s Industry Credential Pipeline Program that seeks to connect job seekers to career opportunities within the transportation sector.

[Above photo by NMDOT]

NMDOT said it created the pipeline program to prepare individuals for high-demand roles by integrating on-the-job learning and industry credentialing to build the transportation industry pipeline from an early stage in key areas such as planning, engineering, finance, budgeting, economics, commercial driver licensing, and Geographic Information Systems.

“This program will strengthen New Mexico’s transportation labor force, create sustainable career pathways, and ensure a skilled workforce for NMDOT’s future,” said Ricky Serna, NMDOT secretary, in a statement.

Under a four-year Memorandum of Understanding, NMDWS and partner staff will actively connect job seekers, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients, and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act participants to NMDOT’s pipeline program. NMDWS said it will also provide education supports, wrap-around services, or other resources to assist program participants.

[Editor’s note: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials held a “Knowledge Session” at its 2023 Annual Meeting in Indianapolis that explored strategies to engage the next generation in state transportation jobs; a crucial effort that involves equity, resilience, environment, and workforce gaps.]

In further partnership with NMDWS, NMDOT plans to introduce high school and postsecondary students to the diverse set of transportation agency occupations and provide opportunities to become part of the industry.

NMDWS also plans to conduct information sessions for program training providers referred by NMDOT on the process of Eligible Training Provider List registration. In addition to training providers, connections to pre-apprenticeship or registered apprenticeship programs are also possibilities leading to workforce development and employment at NMDOT.

Other state departments of transportation around the country are engaged in similar workforce recruiting efforts.

For example, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has partnered with the Center for Employment Opportunities in its District 5 and District 6 regions since 2019 to provide employment services exclusively to former prison inmates so they may get hands-on crew experience in landscaping, graffiti removal, rest area cleaning, and litter pickups as part of a job skills program aimed at putting them on the path to gainful employment.

The Nebraska Department of Transportation recently established the “Good Life, Great Journey” program to provide scholarships for individuals pursuing two-year technical degrees in critical transportation-related fields, such as diesel technology, electronic systems, drafting/design, and land surveying.

The agency said that its new “Good Life, Great Journey” program will not only provide recipients with financial resources to fund their technical education, but also give them the opportunity to gain real world experience by interning at a Nebraska DOT facility.