Public Works official outlines hands-on employee training, emphasizes safety

Harper, an agency official with the Department of Public Works, described the department’s ongoing in-house training program and the topics it covers, saying, "Public Works offers several opportunities for hands-on training for employees within the department."

The official said the training ranges from learning to use specialized equipment for daily operations to safely setting up traffic zones and CDL training. Harper said staff "has been trained to guide employees through these processes to ensure they are prepared for their various types of field work."

Harper told listeners the program is ongoing to "ensure staff skills are sharp and consistent, increase employee retention, and strengthen employee relationships." The remarks framed the training as both a workforce-development tool and a retention strategy for the department.

Safety was emphasized as a central goal: "Safety is our priority, so training also provides consistent reminders to staff about the importance of safety in the field and always wearing the appropriate PPE," Harper said. The comments present safety reminders and PPE use as regular elements of the training curriculum.

Harper also highlighted operational benefits, saying that in-house training "provides continuous opportunities for improvement and advancement for employees and overall allows our Public Works operations to be more efficient."

For more details, Harper directed the public to the department website: CityOfChesapeake.net. The presentation consisted of a brief overview and did not include formal actions, votes or proposed ordinance language; no implementation timeline or budget figures were provided.