January 2026

ITLC Presents at National RTAP Conference

Last month, Senior Researcher Shayna Gleason and Senior Advisor for Workforce Development and Technology Jason Macumber attended the 6th National Rural Transit Assistance Program (National RTAP) Conference in Austin, TX. They presented alongside CapMetro’s (Austin) Program Manager for Workforce Outreach, Adam Rosenfield, and CapMetro veterans. Shayna shared the many pathways military veterans can take into transit careers and how transit agencies can support veteran recruitment efforts. Jason and Shayna also had the opportunity to speak with attendees at the Transit Workforce Center exhibit booth about successes and challenges with recruitment, retention, and training.

Adam Rosenfield, Shayna Gleason, and other presenters at National RTAP

ITLC Sparks Conversations on Youth Transit Career Pathways

Senior Workforce Development Advisor Maurice Beard was invited to present online at Contra Costa County’s quarterly Youth Committee Workforce Development Board meeting in mid-November. Responding to the Board’s request to contribute to a “meaningful and productive discussion about how we can better share information and spark interest in transportation careers among our youth and young adults,” Maurice reviewed new technologies, diverse career pathways, and the urgent need to fill projected vacancies to support viable careers. Participants also discussed the need for strategies to create broader career awareness among young people, as well as information on pay and benefits, licensing, and background checks.

Advancing the Transit Workforce: New TCRP Report on

Zero-Emission Vehicle Maintenance

ITLC is pleased to announce that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently published a Transit Cooperative Research Program report for which ITLC was the lead contractor. The development of this report, titled "Public Transit Workforce Development for Zero-Emission Vehicles," was led by Principal Investigator Program Director John Schiavone and managed by Senior Policy Analyst Karitsa Holdzkom, with contributions from Senior Researcher Doug Nevins and Research Associate Michaela Boneva, as well as ITLC’s research partner, Planning Communities.

The report focuses on vehicle maintenance of battery-electric and fuel-cell transit buses and includes lessons from the automotive and school transportation industries. Recommendations include: assessing workforce skills through skills-gap analysis; developing a systematic process for building skills that incorporates frontline worker engagement and formalized training programs such as registered apprenticeships; and proactively addressing recruitment and retention of transit workers.