09-13-2017 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

year-round and would earn a wage that would be higher than the top of the seasonal scale but lower than the current full-time scale. The employee would earn raises based on time worked as well as earning a commercial driver’s license and gaining the necessary experience to be able to be on call. A potential job description and wage scale has been included with this memo. Some changes were made to the job description to show that the Apprentice won’t be performing some of the more difficult tasks alone but would assist in them (similar to what we do with new hires). The minimum and desired qualifications were also changed to lower the standards needed to be met to qualify for the position. Staff believes the Apprentice position will be a great way to groom candidates for future full-time positions. If there is a standout seasonal employee who expresses interest in public works as a career this position, we may be able to develop that employee for the future. Whether there is a standout Little Canada seasonal employee or not, the City would advertise for the position and use the same hiring practices it uses for all other full-time positions. In the case of the current opening, staff is proposing to advertise for the Apprentice position, hire the most qualified candidate, and train the candidate on the job. The thought is the process will take around two years to become eligible for our standard public works position. During that two-year period, the apprentice should have obtained a commercial driver’s license and earned the opportunity to be in the on-call rotation. When an opening occurs, we would hope that the apprentice has been properly trained and is qualified to compete for the standard position. When a position is open, it will be advertised and the regular hiring process will be used to make sure that the apprentice is the right candidate. It is in the City’s best interest to have the apprentice compete for the job to make sure that he/she is truly the best candidate available. The practice of advertising for a full-time position when one opens will always be used should the apprentice program be instituted going forward. The City has had some excellent seasonal employees over the years and staff believes this is an avenue worth exploring to try and leverage those good employees to help with maintenance of the City while training them for a long-term career. If there is not a standout seasonal and/or an outside candidate who fits the bill, then the position will not be filled if it is open and another attempt will be made at a later date. Staff recommends approving the Public Works Apprentice Worker position for the current opening and as a permanent position going forward. Staff will advertise for the position immediately in the hope of having a new hire by late October to enable adequate training prior to snow removal season.