As the pool of skilled tradespeople continues to shrink in the US, Walmart is moving to strengthen its in-house workforce to keep its vast operations running — from conveyor belts and refrigeration systems to electrical networks and basic infrastructure at stores and distribution centres, AP reported.The world’s largest retailer and biggest private employer has revamped its training programme over the past year to expand the pipeline of maintenance technicians, a category of jobs that has become increasingly difficult to fill amid a tightening labour market. These technicians handle tasks ranging from equipment repair to electrical and mechanical work across Walmart’s logistics hubs and retail outlets.The shortage has opened new career paths for workers such as Liz Cardenas, 24, who joined Walmart in May 2023 as an automation equipment operator at a distribution centre in Lancaster, Texas. Her initial role involved monitoring conveyor belts to ensure cartons moved smoothly. Today, she fixes conveyor systems and other machinery when they break down.Cardenas said her hourly pay has nearly doubled to $43.50, and she plans to undergo further training that could bring higher pay and responsibility. “I was able to move out of my parents’ house,” she said. “I have my own apartment. I was able to get a car, and I’m able to give more to my 401(k).”Analysts say labour shortages have been driven by a wave of retirements and a slowdown in immigration that began during the pandemic and has since intensified with President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation push. In skilled trades, the problem is sharper. A McKinsey analysis of 12 trade categories — including welders, carpenters and maintenance technicians — projected an imbalance of 20 job openings for every one net new worker between 2022 and 2032.McKinsey warned that high churn could cost companies more than $5.3 billion annually in hiring and training expenses alone. The shortages are unfolding even as some firms cut jobs amid higher costs from tariffs, shifts in consumer spending and rising investments in artificial intelligence.In response, the Business Roundtable — a lobbying group representing chief executives of about 150 major US companies — launched a new initiative in June to address shortages in skilled trades. Co-led by home improvement retailer Lowe’s, the effort involves outreach to elementary, middle and high schools to raise awareness about trade careers.“While technology continues to evolve, it cannot replace plumbers, electricians, construction workers, maintenance and repair pros, or other tradespeople,” said Lowe’s chairman and CEO Marvin Ellison.Lowe’s began a 90-day online training programme in 2022 for employees interested in trades such as carpentry and utility maintenance. Its charitable arm has also invested $43 million since 2023 in 60 organisations, including technical colleges and non-profits, to recruit and train skilled workers.Mervin Jebaraj of the University of Arkansas’s Walton College of Business said such programmes may ease shortages but will not close the gap, especially given tighter immigration. “For as long as somebody physically needs to fix this, the shortage will persist,” he said. “We don’t have enough people.”Walmart chief executive Doug McMillon told AP that lack of awareness was a major factor. “Most Americans probably don’t know what a tech makes that helps take care of our stores and clubs,” he said.Walmart overhauled its tuition-free training initiative in spring 2024, initially in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and later expanded it to Vincennes, Indiana, and Jacksonville, Florida. The programme blends classroom learning with hands-on instruction in HVAC, electrical work and general maintenance.Nearly 400 employees had graduated as of mid-November, Walmart said. All 108 associates from the pilot batch secured technician roles, with average pay around $32 an hour. The company aims to train 4,000 workers by 2030.R.J. Zanes, vice-president of facility services for Walmart and Sam’s Club in the US, said maintenance roles are especially critical during the holiday season. A refrigeration failure at a single store can lead to losses of $300,000 to $400,000 in spoiled goods, he said.“We have to ensure that we’ve got the right skills there to do preventative maintenance,” Zanes said, “and when we do have a breakdown, get it back up as fast as possible to minimise downtime.”
