Professional Engineers in Government PEG

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• Professional Engineers in Government (PEG)
• April 3, 2007
• Jerry Younger
• Assistant Secretary State Transportation
  Engineer

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Overview

• Engineering Shortage
• National Issue
• KDOT Experience
• Targeting the Next Generation
• Understanding Generational Differences
• Opportunities

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National Engineering Shortage
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Engineering Shortage Losing More than Were
Producing

• For every worker that enters the labor force
  today, 2 workers leave it
• Approximately, 60 percent of government workers
  are Baby Boomers who are nearing retirement

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Engineering Shortage KDOT Perspective

• In the last 3 years, the colleges KDOT recruits
  from have each graduated 19 or fewer students
  annually
• Currently, KDOT has approximately 56 vacant
  engineering positions for a vacancy rate at about
  16
• Long-term vacancies occur in both rural and urban
  areas
• About 69 of our engineering workforce is
  eligible for retirement in 5 years

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KDOT Engineers Retirement Eligible by 2008
Class
Percent Eligible for Retirement by 2008
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Revolving Door
Tenure
Workers Age
Source Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Starting Salary Comparisons

• KDOT Private Industry 41,000 46,000

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Engineering Shortage Implications

• Costly construction delays rising bids
• High turnover rate generates a poor return on
  investment on the 72,000 we spend training a new
  engineer
• Loss of potential leaders

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Targeting the Next Generation

• We need to account for generational differences
• Organizations that win the battle for talent will
  have their fingers on the pulse the newest
  generation of workers

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4 Generations of KDOTs Engineering Staff
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Generational Differences
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Challenges to Meet

• Make our salaries competitive
• Great teams dont rebuild, they reload
• Were going to have a smaller group of engineers
  serving our agency for 20 years thus we need to
  prepare engineers to step into leadership roles
  much faster
• Supervisors are a key factor in retention
• Climate Survey

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Opportunities

• Great time to be an engineer
• Challenges can be a catalyst for innovation
• Shape the future