CHARLESTON, WV – West Virginia Division of Highways District 3 Engineer Justin Smith, P.E., needed to hire about 30 transportation workers.
In years past, that would have been a real problem.
“Normally, when we post a job, we don’t get much response,” Smith said. But thanks to a hiring event hosted by the West Virginia Department of Transportation’s personnel recruiting team on Sept. 21, 2021, Smith was able to get many of the employees he needed.
“Fifty-three people showed up, and we offered jobs to 21,” Smith said.
As part of Gov. Jim Justice’s $2.8 billion Roads To Prosperity highway construction and maintenance program, the West Virginia Legislature passed a bill that was signed into law by the Governor, allowing WVDOT to hire workers independent of normal state personnel procedures. The move was made to expedite the hiring of the thousands of employees who would be needed to pull off the largest highways program in the history of the state of West Virginia.
Since the passage of the bill, the WVDOT has hired hundreds of engineers, attorneys, bridge safety inspectors, county administrators, crew chiefs, equipment operators, resource specialists, supply specialists, and transportation workers needed to bring Gov. Justice’s vision to fruition.
“In my 21 years with Transportation, it has never been this easy to hire employees,” said Natasha White, director of the WVDOT Human Resources Division. “We are making sure the correct people are in the correct jobs, just not putting behinds in seats.”
But being able to hire employees quickly doesn’t make much difference if you can’t find suitable applicants. That’s why WVDOT has an aggressive recruiting program.
By the end of 2021, WVDOT will have participated in 35 job and career fairs at colleges, universities, technical centers, and WorkForce West Virginia sites all over the Mountain State, and will have held eight different hiring events.
Since Jan. 1, 2021, WVDOT has hired 326 new employees.
Those interested in working for WVDOT may visit https://transportation.wv.gov and click on “WVDOT Careers.” The page will explain the hiring process and provide links to available jobs.
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