Infrastructure Bill Highlights Demand For Engineers

Infrastructure Bill Highlights Demand For Engineers 

From State House News Service on 11/10/2021

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has not been immune from the struggle throughout the economy to hire qualified employees as workplaces rebound from COVID-19, and MassDOT board member Betsy Taylor said she's concerned about the agency's ability to find highway engineers as it prepares to receive a new influx of federal infrastructure aid.

Taylor questioned MassDOT Chief Financial Officer David Pottier about hiring after Pottier presented the department's first quarter revenues and expenses, which remain on budget.

Pottier said he has seen "challenges" in both the quantity and quality of job applicants. "It's taking us a little longer to find great people to hire, but the people we have hired have been top shelf and we're happy about that," Pottier said.

The department has budgeted for 3,636 full-time employees, but currently has a workforce of 3,550 with 86 hires planned. Pottier said additional hiring may be necessary when the new federal money starts to come in.

MassDOT's total quarterly revenues are currently close to 28.7 percent of what was budgeted for fiscal 2022, according to Pottier. Employee compensation and benefits are at 20 percent due in part to being under the number of budgeted full-time employees.

At $97.2 million in tolls collected through September, toll collections are up $15.9 million from the first quarter of fiscal year 2021 and are at 29.5 percent of annual budget.

Pottier said it was a "good news story" on both revenues and expenses. - Matt Murphy/SHNS | 11/10/21 12:37 PM