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Learn how to attract and retain young employees with new sessions just added to the educational lineup at The Work Truck Show 2017. Millennials, now the majority generation in the U.S. workforce, are stimulating new thinking in diversity, transparency, collaboration, flexible work and positive social atmospheres. The Special Session “What the Industry Needs to Know About Recruiting & Keeping Millennials... From Millennials” will address corporate challenges and opportunities of finding and retaining skilled young talent. The concurrent session “Becoming an Employer of Choice — Three Strategies for Creating Your Competitive Advantage,” will explore why nearly half of all employed millennials plan to change jobs in the coming year and what engagement strategies organizations can use to set themselves apart from other local employers. These sessions are two examples of how NTEA – The Association for the Work Truck Industry is working to help attract and grow the next generation of professionals to the $150 billion work truck industry.
The concurrent “Employer of Choice” session is held Thursday, March 16, from 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. It's presented by Amy Hirsh Robinson, principal of Interchange Group. The Special Session on “Recruiting & Keeping Millennials” is held Thursday, March 16, from 1:30–2:45 p.m. The Work Truck Show, produced by NTEA, runs March 14–17 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Educational sessions begin March 14, and the exhibit hall is open March 15–17.
For millennials already working for NTEA members, the Association offers Generation Next. For people relatively new to the vocational truck industry, it provides the opportunity to network with peers and ask questions pertaining to their career paths. It's run by an elected board of governors, and puts on several events and panels during the year to share experiences and challenges. Through Generation Next, an evolution of the Young Executives Network founded in 1996, NTEA continues its long-standing efforts to attract, engage and foster young talent in the industry.
At The Work Truck Show 2017, the group is hosting the Generation Next Leadership Workshop and Networking Reception: The Rules of Engagement on Wednesday, March 15, from 3–5 p.m. The presenter, chosen by the group, is Josh Schneider, director of the Millennial and Employee Engagement Institute.
“Generation Next is a great opportunity to help members engage their new and upcoming people — the future of their companies — by helping them gain a broader perspective of the industry beyond just the function of their job, and get excited about the future of their careers,” says Derek Eng, director of information technology at NTEA, and liaison with Generation Next. “It's a two-way street. Young people develop connections and resources they can use when encountering new challenges or needing to know more about an unfamiliar subject or discipline. At the same time, our involvement with this group has given the Association greater insights into the needs and perspectives of each incoming generation.”
Members of Generation Next will participate in a panel discussion during the Special Session “What the Industry Needs to Know About Recruiting & Keeping Millennials… From Millennials.” They'll discuss their experiences, attitudes and work expectations, while considering what companies must do to become employers of choice in the new economy. The session will be moderated by Amy Hirsh Robinson, principal at the Interchange Group.
Meeting the Work Truck Industry
Exposing students to The Work Truck Show is a great way to get them interested in a career in the work truck industry. It's the perfect venue for interested young people to see first-hand the scope of the commercial truck industry.
“We represent an industry whose workforce is aging, so attracting a younger generation is a vital mission for our members,” says Bob Miller, NTEA director of outreach. “I visit the workplaces of nearly 200 members a year, and about 85 percent of them tell me one of the biggest challenges they face is finding and keeping new people. So as an Association, our challenge is get young people interested in the industry, and keep them engaged once they become part of it.”
Last year, more than 275 students attended The Work Truck Show, including four from Escondido High School in California who were accompanied by their automotive technology instructor, Tim Latulippe. He had been to the Show before, and it was an eye-opening experience for him.
“I was blown away the first time I experienced the scope of The Work Truck Show, and I knew these guys would be just like me,” Latulippe said. “I wanted them to understand how big this (industry) is, and that with the proper training, they can go just about anywhere in the world and have the opportunity to be gainfully employed and do a good thing for themselves and their families.”
Named one of the top 100 trade shows in the U.S., The Work Truck Show features the newest vocational trucks, vans, vehicle components and equipment from more than 500 exhibitors on an exhibit floor covering more than 500,000 square feet. Registration for The Work Truck Show 2017 is available at worktruckshow.com. The Special Session “What the Industry Needs to Know About Recruiting & Keeping Millennials … From Millennials” is not included in any registration package, and a ticket must be purchased separately. The concurrent session “Becoming an Employer of Choice — Three Strategies for Creating Your Competitive Advantage,” is available through the Conference & Trade Show Package.
For more information, visit facebook.com/TheWorkTruckShow, and on Twitter at @WorkTruckShow. The official Work Truck Show hashtag is #worktrucks17.
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