January 4, 2024

A Fruitful 2023 and Looking Ahead to 2024

The ITLC team wishes all of you a wonderful 2024! 2023 was a busy and productive year for ITLC, full of collaboration with industry partners on initiatives that support the frontline workforce. Our Signals, Rail Car, and Traction Power consortiums have been actively developing new curricula and courseware while planning further refinements and developments in the new year. In 2024, ITLC looks forward to continuing to share our work on bus safety, Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV)-related training programs, frontline worker outreach and recruitment, apprenticeships and mentoring, funding opportunities, and a range of other training and workforce development resources.

Save the Date: TWC’s Making Connections 2024

ITLC’s Transit Workforce Center (TWC), the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) technical assistance center for workforce development, is excited to announce the much-anticipated return of the National Transit Workforce Conference, Making Connections 2024 (MC24). This year’s event is set for November 11-13, 2024, in the vibrant Inner Harbor of Baltimore, Maryland. Monday will offer optional pre-conference half-day and full-day workshops, along with activities recognizing our veterans. The formal conference begins on Tuesday, with sessions providing attendees the opportunity to collaborate, share, learn, and network with public transportation stakeholders across the industry. MC24 will cover all aspects of workforce development, including new and existing developments, challenges, opportunities, and cutting-edge strategies.

Check out the video recap of Making Connections 2022 below, and make plans to join us in November! Stay tuned for the agenda, registration, and more in the new year.

2022 Making Connections Recap

Thriving Communities Cohort Hears from ITLC

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Thriving Communities Program (TCP) provides technical assistance, planning, and capacity-building support to teams of community partners that may lack the staffing or technical expertise to scope, fund, and develop infrastructure projects that advance broader community goals. Responding to an invitation from ITLC Senior Fellow Dr. Beverly Scott, who serves as a capacity-building resource to the current TCP cohort, Executive Director Jack Clark and Senior Director for Workforce Education Pat Greenfield spoke to the cohort about ITLC programs and services. Participants expressed particular interest in funding opportunities for workforce initiatives, ITLC’s work on workforce development resources related to fleet transition to electric vehicles in public transit and school buses, and opportunities and materials related to transit-education partnerships.

TWC Joins FTA Presentation at NEPTA Annual Conference

ITLC’s Senior Director for Workforce Education Pat Greenfield traveled to FTA Region for to the NorthEast Passenger Transportation Association (NEPTA) Annual Conference in Providence, Rhode Island in December, where she spoke about “Moving Public Transportation: FTA, Workforce Development, and Beyond.” NEPTA is a non-profit association of transit providers, vendors, and industry specialists dedicated to promoting issues in transit at the local, state, regional, and national levels.

Pat was part of FTA’s Region 1 plenary session, led by FTA Region 1 Administrator Pete Butler, who provided an overview of FTA activities. Pat’s presentation on TWC’s services was followed by a Q&A session with conference attendees who were particularly interested in mentoring programs for the frontline workforce. Region 1 staff Eric Papetti and Michelle Muhlanger also led participants in a lively interactive session on FTA initiatives and funding.

Engaging the Next Generation of Workers

The crisis-level shortage of workers in public transit was the focal point for the "Critical Conversation: The Public Transport Frontline Worker Crisis" webinar, organized by the Introducing Youth to American Infrastructure (IYAI+) network on December 6. The event brought together presenters to discuss the shortage and explore potential solutions by engaging the next generation of workers. The IYAI+ team led the discussion, presenting a literature scan, key takeaways from their surveys and focus groups, and a case study from Denver that highlighted practical approaches to engage youth and instill excitement about transit careers.

The webinar featured a presentation from the Amalgamated Transit Union’s (ATU) International Director for Apprenticeships and Workforce Development Jamaine "G" Gibson, who discussed apprenticeships and mentorship. ITLC’s Communications Manager David Stephen also shared insights into TWC’s storytelling initiative, Transit Career Stories. David showcased a video produced by TWC that highlighted IndyGo (Indianapolis) bus operators, who discussed the value and impact of working in public transit and why they are content with their career choices.

ITLC's David Stephen

ITLC Team Moderates Two Panels at the National RTAP Conference

ITLC’s Senior Workforce Development Advisor Maurice Beard and Research Associate Shayna Gleason traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, last month for the National Rural Transit Assistance Program (National RTAP) conference. Both team members moderated panels related to transit workforce development. Maurice’s panel, "Improving Your Driver Training Program: State Curriculums, Mentorship, ELDT, & Narcan Training,” and Shayna’s panel, "Rounding Up Morale: Bus Roadeos and Other Driver Recruitment and Retention Strategies," together drew in about 150 of the conference’s attendees. TWC also hosted an exhibit booth, where Maurice and Shayna engaged and networked with conference attendees, sparking many conversations surrounding workforce development in transit that will continue well after the conference's conclusion.