How acute is the need for new workers in the utility industry? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (USBLS), the raw numbers aren’t high but the percentage of expected growth is staggering. From 2023 through 2033, utilities is one of only two industries with an expected growth of 6% and only two industries have higher percentage growth expected at 7%.
Note that this article is about matching younger workers into utility jobs that are machine-oriented, mainly installation and maintenance of utility services. We won’t discuss office positions. Also, we’re talking about general trends among Gen Z workers, whose birth years are from 1997 to 2012 and whose ages in 2024 range from 12 to 27 years. These are documented generalizations; there will be variations within this group and some members will have few or none of these traits.
Matching expectations with realities
The cultural shift present in Gen Z has been studied and documented. We can only list a few of the key changes here. Summary: Gen Z expects their work to be integrated with the rest of their lives. They want better work/life balance. They want the workplace to reflect their social concerns and the employer’s ESG (environmental, social, governance) stance to be compatible with their views. Their commitment to DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) varies from fervent activism to casual interest but is on average much higher than for earlier generations, for whom the acronym did not even exist. They want the opportunity for self-improvement; income is important but not as important as for previous generations because Gen Z strives to be less materialistic than previous generations, especially Boomers. Technology is alluring to them.
How does the utility industry match up? Technology is good, especially in modern equipment with its many operator-assist functions such as return-to-dig. Much technological development has been designed to offset the lack of skilled workers and there is fear that technology will displace employees, reducing career opportunities. Not so, says one of our sources: “Technology has merely redefined what it means to be skilled in this marketplace.” And the industry still needs planners, inspectors, and others whose jobs will not easily yield to technology.
Advancement opportunities are good with new hires moving into crew lead positions in as little as five years. Utility crews aren’t noted for their cultural diversity but neither are they noteworthy for being exclusionary to any ethnic group. Remote work is not possible. There isn’t tons of flexibility in utility work schedules but employees don’t find themselves on airplanes every week to far-flung worksites with faint hopes of being home on the weekend.
Perhaps the most appealing aspect of utility work is the sheer necessity of the services in modern society. Ask candidates which service their community could do without. Natural gas? Public water? Sanitary sewer? Would those applicants give up their cell phones (which are, granted, a hybrid of the utility and communications industries)? A quote from one of our sources should be on bumper stickers, t-shirts, and job fair banners because it will resonate with Gen Z: “What we do matters.”
Entry points
The traditional entry points remain and are even more effective with the use of social media; think “Help Wanted” ads and ways prospects can submit their applications. However, equipment manufacturers have extensive training programs, from simulators to classroom sessions and hands-on workshops, that can bring new hires into the industry with experience and understanding they otherwise would not have. Many OEMs work with their dealers in placing program graduates and some dealers work with their customers in finding and recruiting new hires. Links in the credits are to OEMs’ training options.
Support industries also help. One example is USIC, the locate company based in Indiana. Their package of benefits includes ongoing paid training. They see value in hiring those with military background; many companies do and the U.S. Department of Defense created the Skill Bridge program to facilitate this transition. Employers who have participated in the program laud its benefits, specifically citing the ability of those with military backgrounds to work effectively as team members in achieving a common goal.
Formal education
Part of the appeal of utility careers is that there is no need for a degree…or any formal education, for that matter. But three things are worth noting. First, higher education shows that the person can learn and can set and achieve goals. Second, there is a near-perfect correlation between higher wages and higher employment between income and education, as shown on this USBLS page. Third, there is a general trend toward higher education that does not include traditional college degrees, as documented in this report from NPR. The wide range of trade school pursuits can be found on this USBLS website.
Trade schools offer comprehensive, non-brand-specific training. Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, NC, for example, offers courses for diesel mechanics, machine operators, and others, but can include such things as business management courses in the student’s 2-year degree program. Their “Get Ahead” program documents a graduate’s qualifications to meet the requirements of specific OEM certifications, such as those of Freightliner and Bendix Corporation. They offer skill-specific certification, such as for welding and diesel engine repair. Their “no student left behind” stance offers students help with everything from transportation issues to health concerns and includes an exhaustive approach to seeking financial assistance so successful that few, if any, students are left paying their own tuition. (This isn’t a free education, however, as books and supplies must still be acquired.)
Our thanks to the following for their contribution to this article:
Caterpillar — Dharampal Rihal, Product Support Market Professional
Ditch Witch —Cory Maker, Manager of Product Marketing; Nick Smith, Product Training Specialist
John Deere — David Ottavianelli, Director of Workforce and Community Giving
Volvo Construction Equipment — Wade Turlington, Head of Utility Products and Competency Development
Wilkes Community College — Jamie Reavis, Chair, Transportation Technologies/Lead Instructor – Collision Repair; Will Johnson, Lead Instructor, Heavy Equipment and Diesel Technology; and Patty Parsons, Director of Marketing & Communications
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