Center Update

Partners in Philadelphia Host After School Program Aimed at Recruiting Future Frontline Transit Workers



SEPTA, TWU Local 234, Keystone Development Partnership and school partners continued their cutting edge work on career pathways in Philadelphia as they kicked off a Careers in Public Transportation After School Program at Mastbaum Vocation and Technical High School.  The programs builds on the partners' innovative summer youth program, detailed in the Center's "Pathways to Equity: Effective Transportation Career Partnerships" report.  The three-week Spring program is a pilot that prepares students to apply for the eight-week SEPTA TWU Summer Youth Program.  It will set the stage for a longer and more in-depth semester-long After School initiative at Mastbaum in the Fall.  That program will use a curriculum developed by SEPTA, TWU Local 234 and KDP in consultation with Mastbaum CTE teachers.
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Center Staff and Partners to Present at Upcoming APTA Rail Conference

The 2014 Rail Conference is scheduled for June 15-18, 2014 in Montreal, Canada.  Workshops and technical sessions cover timely issues of widespread interest in operations, technology, safety, planning, finance, and the technical aspects of providing all modes of rail service: urban, commuter, high-speed, and intercity.

Center staff will be presenting at two sessions at the APTA rail conference:

Career Progression:  Choices, Decisions, Outcomes - Monday June 16th 10:30am-12pm:  Brian Turner and Jack Clark will lead a presentation as part of a panel with participants from different cities and states examining the creation of career pathways and options, with the use of partnerships, community outreach and mentorships.  Brian and Jack's presentation will focus on how to address the imminent frontline workforce shortage through connecting career and technical programs, developing career awareness, designing interactive curricular material, establishing relationships with community colleges and supporting career ladders. 

A National Training & Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors - Tuesday June 17 10:30am-12pm: Xinge Wang presents on how to strengthen recruitment and retention of transit vehicle maintainers by developing instructor competencies through a national training and certification program.  Specifically, she will report on findings from TCRP Project F-19: A National Training and Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors which establishes the minimum competency levels and necessary skills required for individuals to qualify as transit vehicle maintenance instructors and prepare a plan for implementation of a national training and certification program.

In addition, Center partner John Buckner of SEPTA will be presenting on

Quality Training for Frontline Transit Rail Technicians: A New System of Training & Qualification on Tuesday June 17, 10:30am-12pm. John will speak about the national effort establishing a rail technician training and qualification system and the local experience of SEPTA to boost technician training through a registered rail apprenticeship program.

For more information on these workshops, visit the Center's website.

To register for the conference, visit APTA's website.
Public Transportation
AASHTO - June 6, 2014
According to multiple news sources, House leaders are working on a proposal that would extend current surface transportation bill MAP-21 in the short-term, providing a financial boost to the Highway Trust Fund by eliminating "the mandate for full 6-day postal delivery service."  While MAP-21 is set to expire on Sept. 30, the HTF is scheduled to run out of necessary funds before that date.
Hotels News Resource - June 10, 2014
A new survey released today by Chase Card Services reveals that millennials are more likely than older travelers to seek out hotels with luxury services such as dry cleaning (32%), massage or spa services (30%) and pet-friendliness (23%). Furthermore, the survey shows millennial travelers are more likely to say it's a 'deal breaker' if a hotel is not near public transportation (19%).   
Uber Gizmo - June 8, 2014
Google Now is a pretty handy service to enjoy, where it will definitely do its part to help folks get around, especially when they happen to be in unfamiliar territory. Apart from that, Google Now also serves up relevant information such as your flight details, navigation information and public transit data, and the technology giant has gone one more step further this time around by improving on Google Now's public transportation abilities.
Transit System/Partners
The Washington Post - June 10, 2014
Welcome news for folks who travel Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. The rail system is exploring options for improving WiFi service by constructing a "dedicated, wireless trackside network" that would provide better (and faster) Internet connections between D.C. and Boston.  If you travel on the line, you know the current service is spotty at best.  You might connect only to be dropped a few miles later.  
The Washington Post - June 8, 2014
Here is Adam McGavock, Metro's sales director, describing what happens when a subway rider sticks a paper Farecard in any of the rail system's 1,000 or so mezzanine gates.  "What pulls your card in is a big rubber belt about that long," he says, spreading his arms as far as they'll go.  
Progressive Railroading - June 10, 2014
MTA Metro-North Railroad, which implemented a major schedule change last month that affected most of its 700 daily trains, is further refining its timetable to improve connections and reduce crowding.  Starting today, the railroad's first Waterbury train will be extended from Bridgeport to Stamford, Conn.   
Labor News
KQED - June 10, 2014
San Francisco transit riders were caught by surprise last week when Muni operators staged a three-day sickout. But the wildcat action was foreshadowed in the campaign four years ago against a voter-approved initiative that required collective bargaining but stripped some of the union's power to negotiate.   
Philadelphia Inquirer - June 10, 2014
SEPTA moved Monday to impose management's terms in a long-running labor dispute with Regional Rail workers, which union leaders said could prompt a strike that would halt all commuter rail service at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.   
Workforce Development
SmartPlanet - June 10, 2014

Nearly 50 years ago, women didn't even make up a third of the U.S. workforce. Today, they make up nearly half of it.  In spite of the numbers, the workplace isn't always an environment of equality. Legislation has helped close the pay gap between women and men in the same roles. But a study released this week suggests that the equality of pay scales might depend on where U.S. women live.   
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