County surveyor proposes HELP program to train and retain survey technicians using Vincennes University credits

The Monroe County surveyor described a proposed Higher Education Longevity Program (HELP) on Feb. 20 to recruit, train and retain entry-level survey technicians by funding coursework tied to licensing and requiring participants to remain with the office for a set period after completing classes.

Program details: The HELP proposal calls for employees to enroll in a hybrid program at Vincennes University to earn credits toward a licensing exam. The county surveyor said the agreement would include a sliding-scale reimbursement: if an employee leaves before two years of employment following their final class, a portion of tuition would be repaid. The surveyor said tuition and fees would be paid from the surveyor perpetuation fund or a designated council-approved fund; legal review has been completed with county counsel and Mr. Schilling.

Why it matters: The surveyor told commissioners the office has struggled to attract applicants with surveying experience and that training entry-level staff is costly and time-consuming. The program is modeled on a similar initiative in Marion County that received an American Institute of County (AIC) award in 2023. The surveyor said increasing trained field staff would raise productivity, allow more independent field work by technicians and improve the office’s ability to produce monument records and modern surveys.

Equipment and productivity: The surveyor highlighted the value of survey-grade equipment (a Javad receiver) and said greater staff training would increase the utility of existing equipment and improve turnaround on survey products.

Next steps: The surveyor offered to share a short Marion County video and to provide additional materials upon request. Commissioners thanked the presenter and asked that the item continue through any required administrative review processes.