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Transportation department outlines engineer training pipeline, second‑chance hiring and retention gains
Summary
NDOT described changes to recruiting and pay that improved retention of engineers and equipment operators, including a progressive engineer training track, internship pipeline with area universities and partnerships for second‑chance hiring for frontline operators.
Diana Alarcone, director of the Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT), told the working group that the department faced substantial vacancy levels in fiscal years 2023–24, particularly among engineers and frontline equipment operators, and that it adopted multiple strategies to improve hiring and retention.
Alarcone said NDOT experienced roughly 72 vacancies in fiscal year 2023 and higher vacancy counts in portions of fiscal year 2024, but the department has since adjusted its recruitment approach. The department developed a progressive engineering training track that brings entry‑level engineering trainees in as engineering interns or engineering‑in‑training (EIT) staff and supports them through certification and ultimately a professional engineer (PE) designation with pay step increases at each milestone.
Alarcone and NDOT staff also described an internship program with local colleges and universities (including historically Black institutions and out‑of‑state schools) that builds a pipeline of candidates, plus a “second‑chance” hiring approach for some frontline equipment operator roles that partners with local nonprofits to recruit and train candidates who may face barriers to employment.
NDOT said adjustments to salary structures announced by central HR also helped make the department more competitive in the market. The department described an uptick in quality applicants over the past year and said current vacancy counts had fallen to the mid‑20s at certain points during its hiring surge.
Committee members pressed for specifics on remaining gaps and on how pay adjustments compared with private‑sector competition. NDOT committed to share further written details about current vacancy counts and entry pay scales following the meeting.
