The Delaware Valley Associated Equipment Distributors, one of the most active local chapters of the AED, held its spring 2019 meeting April 18, 2019, at Norris Sales Company in Conshohocken, Pa.

Jason Blake, CEO of the AED Foundation, provided an update to members on his association's trade school accreditation programs, which includes efforts to bring more schools into the construction (and particularly, technicians) workforce development pipeline with dealers and manufacturers. In addition, Blake urged members to develop relationships with local middle schools and high schools, as well as a host of other strategies, to help them work on an overall workforce development, which will pave the way for future technicians to work for them.

Members received a "Dealer Student Recruitment Scorecard" to help them rate their workforce development efforts and to identify areas where they need to strengthen those efforts.

Mike Murray, northeast regional manager of AED, spoke about local programs with which DVAED members can partner for hiring new technicians.

Chris Weaver, department head of Penn College of Technology's diesel program, informed DVAED members of his school's Career Fair to be held the week of Oct. 21, 2019 in Williamsport, Pa., as well as strategies to develop a pipeline between his students and their businesses. He warned members, however, that his students are so highly sought after that many have already agreed to join companies before they even graduate. Weaver echoed what both Blake and Murray urged members, and all equipment distributors to do, and that is to develop a broader, but more strategic plan to position themselves earlier in students' minds as they work their way through school.

CEG