solidifying the company’s reputation for excellent service. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING CHALLENGES As industries across North America grapple with skilled trade shortages, Kristian Electric faces similar challenges. The company’s need for highly specialized skills in electrical and mechanical fields is critical, yet the supply of trained professionals remains scarce. “We’re always short-handed,” Gjertsen states plainly. “In our business, we need people with electrical or millwright backgrounds. There’s no apprenticeship for fixing welding machines or overhead cranes. We have to train them ourselves.” This necessity for in-house training means investing heavily in education. Gjertsen explains, “We send our apprentices to various schools—Miller welding, Lincoln welding, Hypertherm, and Demag. We’ve also sponsored workers from other countries, bringing them here and training them from scratch. It’s the only way to ensure we have a capable workforce.” Regarding hiring, Kristian Electric looks for more than just technical skills.“We consider education and job history, but personality is crucial. They need to fit in with the team and be willing to learn,” says Gjertsen. 127 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 08 KRISTIAN ELECTRIC
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