ELEVEN Floyd Brown picks up Timothy Robinson from a public transit hub near their job location. At the beginning of the partnership, we worked with Living Classrooms to identify six initial participants through a vetting process. Formal training was provided to receive the correct certifications to become a traffic control professional. Once completed and certified, the participants were hired by Flagger Force and paired with a mentor in the region, a seasoned employee with a company truck. Flagger Force mentors were selected to help guide the new crew members and pick them up every day—normally at a public transit hub near the job. The transit hub concept is an innovative way to meet the needs of those looking for work without the basic resources to obtain certain opportunities. By reverse engineering job requirements into practical solutions, we’ve been able to better meet demands and align with our vision that we should exist to make a difference—one we believe matters, to us and the communities we serve. The mentor and new crew member are then always assigned to jobs together—making the shared commute model most effective. Plus, working together from the very beginning provides a huge benefit for the new recruits as they gain more experience and knowledge about the temporary traffic control industry. It’s also beneficial to the mentors as they learn to train and lead in the field. One of Flagger Force’s advanced crew leaders, Floyd Brown, is a mentor in the program. He was partnered with Timothy Robinson in October of 2018 and they have been working together ever since. Brown says, “I liked the idea of having a partner and helping him learn the job. Now I can’t imagine working with anyone else as my partner. He has my back and I have his. Being a mentor makes me proud.” “I finally have a paycheck,” added Timothy Robinson, who was a part of the Living Classrooms Project SERVE program. He was hired by Flagger Force after completing the training in October. “I was nervous when I first heard about the job but knowing there is a path for me to succeed gives me the motivation to continue working as hard as I can, to make it as far as I can. One day, I hope to be an advanced crew leader, setting up my own sites, just like Mr. Brown.” As the program expands, so does the partnership and opportunity to provide more jobs. “The program is incredible and has been a positive experience for all who are involved. We couldn’t be more pleased with how it’s turned out. The new employees are building a career with Flagger Force and the mentors feel good about helping,” says John Rommel, Flagger Force field manager and project manager of the program. “We’re looking forward to onboarding more recruits and promoting more mentors.” “The culture at Flagger Force is built on taking care of each other, which is why this workforce development method has worked so well for us,” added Sean Lightner, vice president of business development at Flagger Force. “These individuals previously would have not been able to work for us because of the fact they didn’t have a driver’s license. We solved that problem by designating locations to meet and having one person they work with consistently. The friendships participants have built with their partners and the confidence they gain through this initiative speaks for itself. Our company continues to look for future collaborations like this throughout our footprint.”