3.4.1.1
Workforce Planning and Development
It is important to conduct a periodic skill assessment and gap analysis of the TAM workforce. This will involve defining skills and capabilities needed by the type and function of your TAM program. A starting point for defining skill is to look at section 3.1.3 Competencies of this guide. The competencies list can be used to build a list of skills for your agency. Skills needed change over time but one important need in the TAM workforce is a diversity of skills. The assessment and gap analysis of the current workforce against the evolving needs of TAM is an important step in having a robust TAM workforce to support an agency’s program. This step will identify skill gaps and develop strategies to address them through recruitment, training, or restructuring.
Once the skill gaps are known, the next step will be to have effective training and professional development programs to address gaps and ensure staff are up-to-date with the latest TAM methodologies, technologies, and regulations. Participation in professional development opportunities such as conferences, workshops, webinars, and certifications is important for building skills and capabilities. The TAM community has a rich set of resources for this type of engagement. The AASHTO TAM Portal (https://www.tam-portal.com/) event page provides a list of these types of opportunities.