First graduating class of Highway Operations Technicians 3 training program receive professional certifications
Operations Vision 2020 restructuring plan reaches milestone success
(Trenton) - New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials announced that the first class of Highway Operations Technician 3 (HOT3) participants have successfully completed a new training program, passed the civil service promotional exam, and received their professional certifications.
There were 44 graduates of the first HOT3 training program, each of whom advanced through the three-course curriculum of progressive difficulty, logging more than 180 hours of classroom training.
“I commend the first Highway Operations Technician 3 graduating class as they represent a significant step in achieving NJDOT’s commitment to providing outstanding service to the public by broadening staff skills, increasing efficiency, improving response time and keeping our roadways safe and operational,” Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said.
HIGHWAY OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN TRAINING PROGRAM
The HOT3 title is a product of the newly reorganized Transportation Operation Systems and Support (TOS&S) Unit. TOS&S created an operational improvement Vision 2020 business plan that includes providing internally designed training to current NJDOT employees. The training was designed to fulfill departmental staff skill requirements by enhancing the knowledge of current staff. The graduation is a significant milestone in the progress of the Vision 2020 mission implementation and achieving department goals.
“The Training Team used their field knowledge to create course content and hands on training that provided the broad skills that are required of the staff to do an excellent job. In addition to being a wide girth of skills, the depth of skills required is equally essential to providing quality outcomes. The team spent countless hours helping individuals master skills,” NJDOT Assistant Commissioner for TOS&S, Andrew Tunnard said.
Vision 2020 is a five-year Transportation Operation Systems and Support (TOS&S) Unit reorganization plan designed to achieve greater workforce efficiencies and increase operational effectiveness of maintenance staff on the roadways. Ultimately, the goal is to create self-contained, versatile roadway crews.
Some of the plan goals include increasing staff efficiency by broadening employee skill sets through technical training. The training will create a workforce that has broad knowledge and ability to perform a core skill set of essential roadway tasks. Historically, the operational structure required task specialists for each skill creating workforce inefficiency and a large number of crews.
The Vision 2020 plan also includes critical equipment upgrades to enhance field capabilities and performance through more advanced technologies.
The plan is now in its third year and has completed numerous short-term changes bringing the organization closer to its long-term program success. Some of these improvements include:
- Reducing the number of field crews while increasing the number of personnel within each group
- Reducing the number of staff titles and broadening the scope of the new titles
- Reorganizing personnel operations locations coordinated by function
- Increasing staffing in regions that require it
The Vision 2020 goal of achieving excellence will positively affect the public through:
- Enhanced emergency responses
- Reduced traffic signal problems
- Cleaner streets
- Consistently maintained road way lighting
- In-house paving enhancements
The NJDOT Operations Training Unit was formed in August 2015. The team has trained hundreds of NJDOT employees at various levels from Highway Technician Trainees to Supervisors. The goal of the Department is to create a properly trained workforce that increases staff opportunities, encourages personal and professional growth that transfers to providing outstanding service to the public.
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