Until fairly recently, the majority of Americans didn’t think twice about the supply chain. If we wanted something, we would put it on a shopping list, go to the store, and somehow that thing would just… be there.

The phrase “supply chain” is now synonymous with a roulette wheel — sometimes the products you want are there, other times, products are out of stock.

But that’s not the entire story. The other supply chain problem is the talent supply chain of skilled labor.

While many industries are confronting a labor crunch, transportation’s talent supply chain is facing a triple threat of labor shortages that begin with recruitment and retention challenges, compounded by an imminent retirement wave, and coupled with a coming technology transition.

Just as $1 trillion of federal spending to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure is set, there is a shortage of construction workers to repair crumbling roads, ports, and rails. According to an analysis by the Associated Builders and Contractors, there were 396,000 open construction jobs in March 2022 — a full 60,000 more than the year before.

Furthermore, the coming electrification of the transportation system will ultimately require a new workforce, as well as training a new generation of workers to maintain electric vehicles and robotic systems.

Moreover, to successfully integrate the nation’s power infrastructure with the transportation system will need a specialized workforce to build, operate, and maintain an electricity generation and distribution system will also be required to meet unprecedented power demands.

The opportunity is for younger workers who have a knack for mechanics — jobs, and wages, across the transportation sector will probably surge.

There’s a lot more. Read here.