A Berrien County Road Department program to reimburse the training costs for an employee to earn a CDL has been yielding results. Speaking to the Berrien County Board of Commissioners Thursday, County Administrator Brian Dissette said there are new staff members on board and receiving training.
“We have six new staff at the road department who we are taking a chance on, who we are investing in, and who have agreed, via formal agreement, that they will stay with us for two years and that their CDL training will be 100% paid for by the road department,” Dissette said.
Under the arrangement, if the workers leave early, they have to reimburse the county for the CDL training cost. Dissette said county departments have risen to the occasion when it comes to addressing the staffing shortage.
“They’re at trade shows, they’re actively recruiting though the college, and I would point to our road department and the six people we are taking a chance on as further evidence that we are doing a good job.”
Dissette agreed with a member of the public who said the county has to address the paradox of workers needing experience before they can get hired but being unable to get experience. He noted in the past sixth months, the county staff vacancy number has gone from 80 to 59.
