Workforce Development

As a nation struggles to recover from pandemic protocols, supply chain issues, and worker shortages, investing in the asphalt pavement industry’s essential workforce remains a priority for NAPA, our partners, and our members. Looking to the future and learning from the past, we gain assurance in our resolve to recruiting, developing, and promoting the best people to ensure they can find meaningful careers in this industry while making lasting contributions to the communities they live and work in. Our values run deep and are reflected in our diverse workforce.

In 2021, we continued to think creatively toward preparing the industry’s workforce of the future. Though the retirement rate for our industry is lower than the national average, we will need new talent to implement new infrastructure projects. Pre-pandemic, the industry established an effort to provide tools to help the industry recruit and retain that talent – work that will result in more workforce development resources in 2022.

PAVE IT BLACK

Shining Spotlights on the People and
Opportunities in Our Industry

SEASON 4

Season 4 of Pave It Black, NAPA’s flagship podcast, kicked off in October and continues into early 2022. Hosts Richard Willis and Brett Williams interview people in all kinds of asphalt jobs in this “season of opportunity.” Stream episodes on your favorite podcast app or on our website to hear from professionals in business development, environmental compliance, project management, and so much more.

SEASON 4, EPISODE 1

Hear Candy Klingensmith, Safety Manager at Knife River Midwest (Member Since 2015), provide insight on successfully engraining safety into company culture. LISTEN NOW

SEASON 3, RECAP

Pave It Black’s third season aired February–June with a focus on technology and innovation. Catch up data, dynamics, and drones in our recap in Asphalt Pavement magazine.

SEASON 5, SNEAK PEAK

Season 5 will air in early 2022, highlighting climate-related issues and introducing topics we’ll be tackling in The Road Forward, the industry’s vision toward net zero carbon emissions.

We’re launching a new Career Pathways website in 2022. The site provides information to potential recruits on 28 industry jobs by skill level plus details such as job descriptions, requirements, experience, average nationwide salary, and career advancement. Plus, it links to NAPA’s job board, where prospective employees can view and apply for open positions. (Post yours today!)

Visit Asphaltpavement.org/Careers

FHWA’s Every Day Counts Round 6 includes a Strategic Workforce Development Initiative: Innovative strategies to identify, train, and place workers in highway construction jobs that support the Nation’s highway system. NAPA’s Ashley Jackson served on the implementation team.

Learn more

10%

NAPA’s monthly social media
calendar saw 10% growth in 2021.

Social media provides organizations a means of promoting the asphalt industry and recruiting/retaining top talent.

Contact us to enroll in this free member program.

MEDIA HIGHLIGHT TIPS FOR USING
SOCIAL MEDIA

Valerie Echter (aka #AsphaltGalVal) offered tips for capitalizing on social media to promote your business and recruit workers in the January/February issue of Asphalt Pavement magazine.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT MATTERS

In Q2-2021, NAPA conducted a nationwide employee engagement survey on behalf of the industry to gain an understanding of, and create benchmarks for, how asphalt manufacturers and laydown contractors engage staff and crews. Participating companies each received individualized reports analyzing their responses.

WE HEARD FROM

76

Companies

27

States
900

Individuals

75% Male

25% Female
15%

Union

85%

Non Union
50%

Hourly

50%

Salary

KEY FINDINGS

68%

said their careers benefitted from company-provided training and skill development opportunities

87%

of all respondents (and 92% of women) said they feel valued and respected at their company

WHY DOES EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT MATTER?

Attendees of the 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting session “Employee Engagement: Influencers
that Drive Tip Performance” learned that disengagement costs U.S. employers $550 billion
a year in lost productivity. (Gallup, 2013)

MEDIA HIGHLIGHT
REVIVING INTEREST IN TRADE CAREERS

An article in Asphalt Pavement magazine’s March/April issue featured a partnership in Indiana that aims to recruit high school students as interns, demonstrating that opportunities abound in asphalt pavement.

WOMEN OF ASPHALT EXPANDS IN 2021

58%

Membership growth
4

New branches: Florida, Minnesota/Dakota, Texas, Virginia
4

Women in the Field videos
2

Conversations to Lead & Inspire
84

Women participated in a new mentorship program

See more in the

Women of Asphalt Annual Report. Continue reading

Did you know?

NAPA’s Audrey Copeland and Amy Miller are founding members of WofA and serve on its Board of Directors.

MEDIA HIGHLIGHT RECRUITING WOMEN
FOR ASPHALT JOBS

For the third consecutive year, the July/August issue of Asphalt Pavement magazine featured the many diverse women in asphalt, including an article on attracting and retaining women to careers in the industry.