Adams County Public Works Department establishes maintenance worker apprenticeship program

The Adams County Public Works Department is currently creating a maintenance worker apprenticeship program.

Public Works Director Todd O’Brien said the department has been working on creating the program since the beginning of the year. He noted the Adams County Commissioners approved the proposal in January. He later drafted a memorandum of understanding with the employee’s union for the program.

He stated the program will help with recruiting and retaining employees within Public Works.

O’Brien explained there are department employees in management roles who are looking to retire in the next 3-5 years. He said the department will either promote employees from within Public Works or search outside of the department to fill those positions.

When Public Works promotes employees from to a management role from within the department, it leaves a vacant entry-level position.

O’Brien said a primary issue in hiring employees is the Class A commercial driver’s license (CDL) qualification for an entry-level maintenance worker applicant.

He explained the CDL requirement has been an obstacle for applicants who have not acquired the certification, or completed training for the license.

One way the program will help with recruiting potential employees is removing the Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) requirement.

Through the program, the department will provide an apprentice with the resources and tools to allow them to acquire the CDL within 6-12 months after being hired. O’Brien noted the apprentice program is not designed to be a CDL school, but rather for Public Works employees who want to work for Adams County.

O’Brien said he hopes to have an apprentice at the maintenance shops in Lind, Othello and Ritzville.

Prior to working for Public Works, an apprentice will need to acquire and maintain a commercial license permit and pay the appropriate fees.

O’Brien said once the apprentice starts working for the county, they will complete 40 hours of instruction and classroom training outside of their work schedule. He added the employee will be working with a CDL-certified trainer, who will review the apprentice’s coursework.

After finishing the coursework, the apprentice will need to complete 120 hours of driver training.

O’Brien explained the driver training would consist of 18 hours of routine maintenance activities and 16 hours of practicing backing maneuvers.

The employee would also need to complete 16 hours of proficiency development, and 70 hours of lab training for job specific tasks and observation. The training includes performing seasonal jobs like snow-plowing roads and hauling asphalt to work sites. The employee will be observed by a county employee throughout training.

Once an apprentice is finished with the coursework and driver training, they will be eligible to take the written exam and state driving skills test from the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) to acquire a CDL. O’Brien added the department will provide the truck the employee to use during the CDL driving exam for two attempts.

While preparing for the CDL exam, the apprentice would continue work for Adams County, and learn the department’s operations and procedures.

Once an apprentice acquires a CDL, O’Brien said they can be a regular full-time Public Works employee and will need to remain with the department for 24 months.

After an employee works for the department for 24 months, O’Brien said there is an opportunity for them to advance to a maintenance worker II or a management level position. He added an employee could move to different areas in Public Works within their bargaining unit, such as solid waste, traffic control or engineering tech.

If an employee leaves the department or is terminated prior to 24 months, they will need to reimburse the county for the training.

With the apprentice program, O’Brien hopes to bring Public Works to a full staff.

In the future, O’Brien said he would like to begin a department program where it would provide employees with certification to allow them to move into different positions in Public Works. He also hopes employees who complete the program would want to continue working for the county.

For more information or to apply for the program, contact Adams County Public Works at 509-659-3276 or on the Adams County website.