Walmart, Other Firms Seek to Build a Pipeline of Skilled Tradespeople

As the number of skilled tradespeople dwindles in the United States, Walmart is trying to develop its own workforce to keep conveyor belts moving, refrigerated grocery cases cold, and drains and parking lots functioning, Anne D’Innocenzio reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The nation’s largest retailer and private employer revamped its training program last year to expand the pipeline of maintenance technicians. (Photo: Wikideas1 Wikimedia Commons) 

The nation’s largest retailer and private employer revamped its training program last year to expand the pipeline of maintenance technicians who perform tasks ranging from equipment repair to electrical work at Walmart’s distribution centers and stores — jobs that have become increasingly difficult to fill because of a shrinking labor pool.

The shortage has created opportunities for workers such as Liz Cardenas, 24, who joined Walmart in May 2023 as an automation equipment operator in Lancaster, Texas.

Her job initially involved ensuring boxes were properly taped and traveled upright on conveyor belts. She is now responsible for fixing conveyor belts and other equipment when they break at distribution centers.

Cardenas said she nearly doubled her hourly pay to $43.50 and plans to pursue additional training, which would bring higher pay and more responsibility. “It also means financial freedom,” she said.

A surge in retirements, combined with a slowdown in immigration that began during the pandemic and has accelerated under President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation policies, are among the main drivers of labor shortages.

The problem is especially acute in skilled trades.

Consulting firm McKinsey analyzed 12 trade job categories — including maintenance technicians, welders, and carpenters — and projected an imbalance of 20 job openings for every one net new worker between 2022 and 2032.

McKinsey cited an “extraordinary rate of churn” that could cost companies more than $5.3 billion annually in talent acquisition and training costs alone.