Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/873881
September 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com 40 "Those two guys have learned that system together, because my 20-year veteran had been working off the old-school way of doing things," Alston says. "I think the biggest issue with the grade con- trol and what seems to work well for us is that we now have 10- and 12-hour days, and we've got guys that can efficiently work 12 hours. Whereas the old way, without grade control, was a lot slower and less efficient." She adds that the grade control makes a big difference for younger operators. "It used to be that you could watch their feet and watch that clutch and see that they're just barely on it," she says. "…The new shifting and operation is more like silk. It runs so much different." But she says new machines still require a skilled operator. "With a motor grader operator, it's like painting," she says. "There's a certain amount of finesse, and it's a talent for sure." Minding the skills gap With a growing skills gap and operators aging out, it's becoming harder for contractors to find skilled operators. And without a system similar to Atlanta Paving's, contrac- tors could be stuck with hiring in- experienced operators and no way to bring them up to speed. In an attempt to narrow this broadening chasm, the Idaho Trans- portation Department (ITD) recently held a three-and-a-half-week heavy equipment training course in Coeur d'Alene funded partly through fed- eral support. Motor grader opera- tion was part of the training. Russ Rivera, a compliance officer with ITD's Office of Civil Rights, spearheaded the program. "We had spent a lot of time argu- ing with contractors, and we spent a lot of time pointing the finger at people for not having skilled em- ployees out in the workforce," Rive- ra says. "At one point, we couldn't ignore the fact that there was a need for skilled employees out in the workforce, and that there was money available through the federal government to provide for pro- grams like this to get the skill levels of Idaho residents up to where they need to be. So we decided that we would try to take a more proactive approach, be a little bit more inno- vative and try to solve the problems that are out on our construction projects before they get any worse than they already are." The response rate for applications to the program highlight both the interest and need for such training, he says. "We had roughly 670 students apply to the program, and we were only allowed to bring in 20 students out of those," Rivera explains. One of the students, Mike Phillips, took the training to expand his skills in excavating and installing water pipes for the city of Burley, Idaho. "There's a lot of information to be taken in and it's stressful, but it's a good kind of stress," Phillips says. "I think that is how we learn. You highway contractor | continued A grader works on a flyover ramp from SR 522 to U.S. 2 in Washington State. (Washington State DOT)