Page 22 - ATR 3 2022 digital

Lead Generation: What the

Population Reveals About

Potential Job Candidates

Experts discuss strategies and solutions for addressing
workforce shortages at ATA conference

By David Monteith
Contributing Writer

For nearly two decades, accord-
ing to surveys by the American
Transportation Research Institute, a
shortage of drivers has been among the
top priorities and concerns of motor
carriers nationwide. Five years ago, the
shortage of diesel technicians in north-
west Arkansas was significant enough
to warrant outside consulting and stra-
tegic planning. Childers
Last year the technician shortage
made it onto ATRI’s national top ten
industry issues list for the first time.
Now, an overall labor shortage triggered
by the pandemic has created even more “ON A POSITIVE NOTE, WE ARE SEEING THAT
competition for workers, making those ARKANSAS IS HOLDING ITS OWN IN POPULATION
openings even harder to fill. GROWTH. WHILE A LOT OF STATES, AND SOME
Addressing these issues was a focal STATES AROUND US, HAVE HAD SIGNIFICANT DROPS
point at this year’s Annual Business
Conference and Vendor Showcase IN POPULATION, ARKANSAS HAS HELD ITS OWN AND
hosted by the Arkansas Trucking EVEN HAD INCREASES IN POPULATION THROUGH
Association in Hot Springs. A variety THE PANDEMIC.”
of speakers provided reasons for hope,
short- and long-term strategies, as well
as actionable suggestions and solutions —DR. CHARISSE CHILDERS,
for motor carriers. ARKANSAS DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SERVICES, DIRECTOR

THE POPULATION PICTURE
The speakers, like Dr. Charisse Arkansas’s current unemployment tries experiencing severe shortages, like
Childers, director of the Arkansas rate of 3.2% is a mixed blessing. It’s trucking and healthcare, there aren’t
Division of Workforce Services, gave good for the state’s overall economy to enough potential applicants.
perspectives on the shortage issue along have only 3,000 people drawing unem- “Those 3,000 people are not going
with examples of steps being taken at ployment benefits, because that means to fill all of your jobs,” Childers said.
the state and national levels. most people have jobs. But for indus- That’s the bad news. The good news

22 Issue 3 2022 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT