The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is seeking an innovative strategy and solution to attract, recruit, and retain a diverse and highly skilled workforce. The primary objective is to ensure that our workforce is well equipped to meet the evolving challenges in transportation planning, engineering, and management while maintaining a commitment to diversity and excellence for our California communities.

Talent acquisition and retention are crucial for maintaining a workforce equipped to address dynamic challenges in transportation. Like all transportation agencies, Caltrans relies on a diverse and technical workforce with skills in engineering, planning, research, and design, among other things.

The proposed solutions should align with Caltrans’ overarching goals:

Cultivate Excellence: Solutions should contribute to the ongoing cultivation of excellence within our organization by ensuring that we have access to a highly skilled and diverse workforce.

Promote Diversity and Inclusion: The goal to actively promote diversity and inclusion within the organization, ensuring that the hiring and retention strategies aim to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities Caltrans serves.

Employee Engagement and Satisfaction: The aim to enhance employee engagement and satisfaction, recognizing that engaged and satisfied employees are more likely to stay with the organization and contribute to its success.

Caltrans seeks a solution that would have the following outcomes/key components: 

Innovative Recruitment Methods: Forward-thinking and effective recruitment methods, strategies, and technologies to identify and attract top talent. This includes approaches for reaching a broader pool of candidates, including underrepresented groups. 

Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives: Detailed initiatives and programs aimed at fostering diversity and inclusion within the workforce. These should encourage representation from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. 

Employee Retention Strategies: Provide strategies and practices for retaining skilled employees by creating a supportive and engaging work environment. This may include professional development, mentorship programs, and work-life balance initiatives.