CITT News

CITT Executive Director Tom O’Brien and CITT GIS and Data Manager Ben Olson are conducting research on how to address the growing shortage of highway construction workers in California and the United States. This project is a response to a Research Needs Statement submitted by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) to the California State University Transportation Consortium (CSUTC) and funded by California’s Senate Bill 1 (SB-1). The CSUTC is based at San Jose State University with partners at CSULB, Fresno State, and Chico State.  

The objective of this project is to identify innovative approaches for the recruitment, hiring, and retention of workers in the transportation construction sector. A recent study by the Associated General Contractors of America has revealed that 80% of the construction companies surveyed are having trouble filling essential positions, emphasizing the need for this project. By looking at other sectors that have faced similar challenges in the past, such as the healthcare sector, the project aims to document best practices in workforce recruitment and retention and develop a hiring and retention checklist for the industry with key milestones and resources. 

Click here to read more about the CSUTC.