The Maryland Department of Transportation is looking to fill 1,100 job vacancies across its divisions.
These open vacancies across MDOT include the State Highway Administration, the Motor Vehicle Administration, the Maryland Transit Administration and the Maryland Transportation Authority, according to the department. Other divisions under MDOT include the Maryland Aviation Administration and the Maryland Port Administration.
Samantha Biddle, deputy secretary of MDOT, told WTOP that Gov. Wes Moore set a goal of filling 50% of those vacancies by the end of this year.
She added that it “would be tremendous” if the department could fill more of those jobs.
The vacancies include bus operators, highway maintenance technicians and driver’s license agents at the Motor Vehicle Administration.
“Oftentimes you think, ‘[The] Department of Transportation is just a bunch of engineers.’ But no, we really have careers for everybody,” Biddle said.
Asked why there are so many vacancies — the current vacancy rate hovers between 12% and 10% — she said part of that is the result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We saw folks — some folks leaving the workforce all around. And I think there’s a real need to reestablish our state workforce,” Biddle said.
To attract workers, she said that “one of the things we’re doing while we’re looking at rebuilding the state workforce is trying to look at our compensation levels.”
The agency’s pitch to prospective workers is that openings aren’t just static jobs, but positions that offer advancement along with government benefits.
“These are careers that are flexible” and allow for a work-life balance, Biddle said.
She also said that many MDOT employees, like the members of the Coordinated Highways Action Response Team, do work that has an immediate impact on road users. For example, the CHART Emergency Traffic Patrols help drivers who’ve suffered a vehicle breakdown and assist police at crash scenes as well.
Biddle said those staffers are often “the best part of a really bad day” for area motorists.
Anyone interested in these or other job opportunities can see a full listing under the careers tab on MDOT’s website.
