Workforce Planning costs about 1.5 times a technician’ s annual salary in replacement expenses and lost productivity.”
To offset those costs, Johnson pointed out, PAR has established career ladders that include transparent advancement criteria from apprentice through leadership so every employee can see the path and the timeline. Competitive compensation programs are in place as well, based on benchmarking wages against regional peers, and tying raises to certifications earned, and demonstrated safe work practices, not tenure alone.
PAR is also focused on wellness, offering mental health support, financial coaching, and family benefits.“ We recognize that field work strains workers and households alike,” Johnson said.“ Creating a good work life balance can reduce stress. At the same time, building a culture where every voice matters and teams feel safe is a strong retention driver.
“ Workforce retention is about forecasting, not reacting,” Johnson continued.“ Data-driven succession planning identifies skills gaps that need to be addressed to stay ahead of attrition. To build a plan we identify successors for every fleet role and have conversations with employees about what they want to do in the future, and even if they are interested in other roles with the company.
“ That information lets us translate workload into headcount so recruiting and training are sized to the growth ahead,” Johnson added.“ We also perform a skills analysis to identify current employee certifications and competencies against the next 18 months of workflow needs to identify shortfalls early. In addition, tracking turnover by tenure, role, and supervisor lets us spot patterns and intervene before we experience clusters of departures.”
In utility fleets, retention increasingly comes down to whether technicians feel supported, respected, and set up for long-term success. Creating an environment where technicians have access to mentorship, communication, growth opportunities, and operational support is critical to keeping skilled talent in the industry.“ The future of your fleet,” Johnson said,“ starts with your people.”
PAR Western Line Contractors provides a range of utility construction and restoration services with a large fleet of assets across California and Hawaii.
The PAR fleet workforce includes field and shop mechanics, fabricators, equipment managers, and support staff.
Three Phases to Mastery
New technicians at PAR Western Line Contractors can advance their careers through an apprentice program.“ We provide a structured path from yard hand to fully certified mechanic,” David Johnson explained.“ The program develops competent mechanics through a phased approach that emphasizes safety, technical skill, company culture, and accountability.”
The three phases of the PAR apprentice program include:
• Phase 1: Yard Hand / Entry Level Apprentice in a company facility or yard.
• Phase 2: Field Support / Field-Based Apprentice( with travel) for hands-on experience supporting field mechanics.
• Phase 3: Shop Mechanic / Shop-Based Apprentice for developing full mechanical competency across five progressive steps during a 30- to 36-month period under a journeyman. This phase includes mechanical repairs and preventive maintenance on company equipment; diagnostics, troubleshooting, and quality control; accurate work orders and service records; building required tool lists; 16 ASE certification exams; vendor training courses, and completion of 41 Job Performance Evaluations.
“ The program includes apprentice mechanics, supervisors who oversee training, journeyman mechanics who mentor apprentices, and management responsibility for evaluation,” Johnson explained.“ Advancement is earned based on demonstrated competency, completed training, and management approval, and compensation grows with added responsibility.”
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