Worcester Business Journal

14 Worcester Business Journal | November 13, 2023 | wbjournal.com F O C U S H R & R E C R U I T M E N T Staffing the system Amid a tight labor market, industries must be innovative to keep operations moving BY ISABEL TEHAN WBJ Staff Writer A t an individual and popu- lation level, the lowering of unemployment rates in Massachusetts is a positive. In September, the rate came in below 3%, nearing historic lows. As a result, however, employers across almost every industry are challenged to find employees, and will continue to be hard-pressed to hire workers they need to fuel their growth, said Christopher Geehern, executive vice president, public affairs and communications at Associat- ed Industries of Massachusetts. "e labor market remains extraordi- narily tight," said Geehern. "It's challeng- ing virtually every industry." In feedback from member businesses at AIM, by and large the biggest worry is finding employees, said Geehern. It's a persistent and serious issue, he said. How the state of Massachusetts will deal with it is dependent on large scale factors. Housing costs play an important role, said Geehern, causing employees to seek employment out of areas that charge a premium. He expects that, with change in interest rates and the inevitable slow-down of the economy, the cyclical nature will slightly ease the hiring difficulties, but the longer term structural issues will remain. e most angst, though, is coming from the transpor- tation, hospitality and foodservice industries, he said. Strategic, inten- tional programs are keeping some Central Mass. companies in challenging indus- tries staffed and above water. ese programs require investment, fore- sight, and buy-in. Advantage Truck Group, based in Shrewsbury, is a freightliner service and sales network that operates throughout New England. e labor market for all roles in the trucking industry has been a challenge even before the tightening of the labor market, said Kevin Holmes, ATG president and CEO. "Our business is not sustainable with- out skilled labor. Not just technicians, it's the entire labor force," said Holmes. e industry has been struggling to attract new workers for the past 10 years, said Holmes. A focus on a college education as the be-all-end-all and the fact that transportation isn't a "sexy" in- dustry have posed challenges long before this tightening of the labor market, but are exacerbating the issue, he said. To try to bring new hands into the op- eration, and get them equipped with the skills to work, ATG opened an in-house training center in 2017 that provides on-staff trainers who can get those new to the industry up to speed. Six years in, the center is playing a critical role in keeping ATG staffed. "Had we not done so, we would be meeting the perils, and having to decide what to do now," said Holmes. e importance of the transportation industry to the flow of life is under- recognized, in Holmes' perspective. "During the pandemic, skilled drivers were called frontline workers. It took the pandemic to recognize that, but skilled drivers have always been on the front- lines," said Holmes. Disruptions to the transportation industry cause disruptions at every level of the supply chain, and there's little room for error. In recent years, ATG has doubled down on its efforts to keep building the workforce, getting involved with local junior high and high schools, concentrating on getting more people interested in roles in the industry to prevent tight labor markets like this one from creating insurmountable issues. ATG's Holmes wants to change the narrative about skilled trade jobs to change the prospects for the trucking industry. e lack of people entering the field and the lack of people aware of it overall create real problems, he said. In an era of crippling student loan debt, these skilled trade roles should be pro- moted, in Holmes' perspective. "We are not looking to just pi- geon-hole skilled individuals," he said. "We are looking to broaden their horizons." Healthcare challenges Healthcare, like transportation, is a round-the-clock endeavor. UMass Me- morial Health in Worcester, the largest health system in Central Massachusetts, saw some challenging years during the pandemic when it came to recruitment of caregivers and employees, said Kaitlyn Urlaub, vice president of talent acquisi- tion at UMass Memorial. Since 2020, the hospital system has seen an increase in hiring of 65%, but it does not mean that the hiring team is out of the woods, saud Urlaub. "e market is still really fierce for Programs to train new technicians at Advantage Truck Group aim to help address a shortage of those workers in an industry. Christopher Geehern, executive vice president, public affairs and communications at AIM Kevin Holmes, president and CEO at Advantage Truck Group in Shrewsbury, started an in-house training program to combat a shortage of skilled applicants. PHOTOS | EDD COTE

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