Newsletter Vol. 10
April 2018
In This Issue
Center Activities
Local Government Agency and University Representatives from the West Region Explore University-Agency Partnerships at EPIC National Conference 

Outreach efforts undertaken by the West Region Transportation Workforce Center helped identify regional representatives interested in catalyzing new partnerships based on the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities (EPIC) model. The EPIC Model is a proven, replicable, and adaptable model for building partnerships between universities and local governments/agencies/organizations to advance community goals, while training the next generation workforce. The WRTWC, together with the conference organizers at the University of Wisconsin,supported attendance at the EPIC National Conference of sixteen representatives from the West Region to enable them to learn more about how they can adapt and implement an EPIC program within their local context. The conference was held in Madison, April 8-11. Nine university representatives from the the University of Hawaii, Oregon Institute of Technology, Gonzaga University, Eastern Washington University, Montana State University, University of Wyoming, and University of Nebraska - Omaha attended. An additional seven local agency representatives from Spokane, Omaha, Bozeman, and Park County, Montana also attended with EPIC and WRTWC support.
                                                             
Conference activities include workshops that help participants learn the nuts and bolts of operating an EPIC program, including benefits to university and community participants, funding models, and project-matching. Attendees have now returned to their home institutions to begin conversations about how the EPIC model can successfully be implemented locally.

Conference attendees learn from existing programs during pecha kucha reception.

Career Spotlights:  Professionals in Transportation Safety

Timothy Barnett, State Safety Operations Engineer, ALDOT
The WRTWC website now showcases professionals in the transportation safety field to help students and prospective workers learn more about these careers. The Spotlights underscore the diversity of career paths that professionals take to become leaders in safety, share professionals' recommendations to other safety practitioners or those considering working in the safety field, and describe strategies and initiatives implemented that have made meaningful impacts on safety outcomes and created job pride and satisfaction.

To view the Safety Career Pathways Spotlight, click here.

Would you like to have someone added to the spotlight? Please nominate a safety professional who is making a difference in your area. 

Success Story Showcase
Oregon Department of Transportation Uses Social Media to Attract New Employees

 
In order to increase their ability to attract new diverse and competent employees, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has been working on improving their brand. Traditionally ODOT used a 'post and pray' method for recruiting new employees, but this was yielding poor results. Over the last few years, ODOT has focused on improving their brand through the use of technology.
Primarily, ODOT's recruiting team has implemented a number of successful strategies in order to attract diverse and competent employees including:
  • Creating an active social media presence on both Twitter and Facebook.
  • Buying-in to LinkedIn, which allows ODOT to "mine" for passive job seekers. Through LinkedIn, ODOT is able to advertise positions as well as seek applicants that meet their minimum qualifications and contact them directly. ODOT has seen great success through LinkedIn by contacting individuals that have similar backgrounds as their current engineers and reaching out to see if they are interested in working for ODOT. Furthermore, ODOT has seen 15 "impact hires" through LinkedIn over the past 9 months. An impact hire is a candidate that viewed one of ODOT's job announcements through LinkedIn then later changed their email address or job profile to note that ODOT is their employer.
  • Using Interviewstream as a "first interview." Interviewstream provides pre-screened candidates with the opportunity to answer a number of questions via a recorded session at a time that works for them. The interview panel is then able to watch the recorded session and score the applicants on their own time at their desk. These "first interviews" are no longer than 15 minutes. Using Interviewstream allows ODOT to interview a diverse group of candidates for the "first interview" and to save money by only bringing in the candidates that are qualified for a second in-person interview with senior level staff. 
  • Recently ODOT has started using magnetic bumper stickers with the message "Now Hiring @odotjobs.com" on the ODOT fleet vehicles. It is still too early to gauge the success of the bumper stickers, but the hope is that people who are interested in driving a snowplow or other agency vehicle will see the sticker and visit ODOT's website.
  • ODOT released a new brochure, "Find Your Path", which outlines possible careers that are available within ODOT and provides guidance and tips for applying for a career with ODOT.
  • In the future, ODOT hopes to use billboards and bus wraps to provide ODOT recruitment messages.
  • In addition, ODOT has begun working with the Oregon Department of Administrative Services Classification Team to determine if ODOT can and should adjust the minimum qualifications for their more difficult to hire positions and to make them more relevant to the job market.
For more information about ODOT's strategies to recruit new employees, please contact: John Whitfield, Recruitment Team Lead at ODOT at  John.D.WHITFIELD@odot.state.or.us
 or at 503-378-1639.

Do you have a success story to share?

Let your peers know what has worked for you. You can now enter details about your workforce development successes online and we will showcase them on our website.

Upcoming Opportunities
American Indian Graduate Center Now Accepting Fellowship Applications

The American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) offers g raduate level fellowships to enrolled members of a federally recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native group OR provide documentation of ancestry to possession of one-fourth degree Indian blood of a federally recognized tribe who are pursuing a graduate or professional level education. To be considered, applicants must be pursuing a master, doctorate or professional degree as a full-time student at an accredited graduate or professional school in the United States and be able to demonstrate financial need.

Applications are being accepted until June 1, 2018. For more information or to apply, click here.

American Public Transportation Foundation Now Accepting Scholarship Applications

In furthering our mission to increase and retaining the number of individuals choosing the transit field as a career, the American Public Transportation Foundation (APTF)  will award a minimum of twenty scholarships, ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 each, to college students or transit professionals who are interested in pursuing or advancing in a career in the public transportation industry.

Awards cover the academic year, beginning in the fall 2018 semester, and assist with tuition costs or other educational expenses. 

Applications are being accepted until June 15, 2018. For more information or to apply, click here.

Upcoming Trainings & Events
Webinar: Communicating Transportation: Successful Communications Strategies for Daily Operations and Technology Deployments
Date: May 3, 2018
Time: 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET
Cost: Free
Organization: National Operations Center of Excellence

As the transportation system rapidly evolves, new communications tools and methods are essential to keeping the general public informed. Additionally, strategic communications can be a key driver to secure new improvements to the transportation system, including adopting new technologies and generating enthusiasm around new funding opportunities.

In a follow-up from the 2017 NOCoE Peer Exchange on Communicating the Future of Transportation, this webinar will feature two states who've been successful in advancing their TSMO and technology efforts utilizing strategic communications. Whether its communicating daily congestion and system performance, the deployment of new traffic management technologies, or enabling new funding opportunities, transportation agencies rely on effective communications to serve their customer, the traveling public.  


Webinar: From 8 to 80: Creating Livable Communities for All Ages
Date: May 9, 2018
Time: 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET
Cost: Free
Organization: America Walks

Walkable communities are only truly walkable when they are able to be enjoyed and accessed by members of all ages. Learn how communities of all shapes and sizes are making sure they are livable for people of all ages.

For more information or to register, click  here.
Link:  https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6571714316381284099
Conference: 3rd Transportation Engineering Education Workshop
Date: May 22-23, 2018
Location: Auburn, AL
Organization: Southeastern Transportation Research Innovation, Development and Education Center (STRIDE), National Science Foundation (NSF)

This workshop provides an opportunity for faculty teaching in the transportation engineering area to work together to learn of best practices in engineering education, develop activities for their classes, and create or further develop their networks with other faculty teaching in this area and follows up on previous workshops in 2009 and 2012. Through the support of STRIDE (Southeastern Transportation Research, Innovation, Development and Education Center), Auburn University, the National Science Foundation and PacTrans (Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium) the workshop is offered without a registration fee. 

For more information or to register, click  here .
Link:  http://ecm.eng.auburn.edu/wp/transportation-engineering/ 
Conference: Center for Health and Safety Culture Symposium
Date: June 20-22, 2018
Location: Bozeman, MT
Organization: Center for Health and Safety Culture (CHSC)

The Center for Health and Safety Culture (CHSC) is committed to working with communities to transform culture so that healthy and safe behaviors are sustainable. To be effective using culture as a basis for promoting health and safety across multiple domains, health and safety practitioners and advocates need to be aware of current research and best practices in transforming culture. Recognizing this need, the Center for Health and Safety Culture is initiating an annual symposium intended to support the evolution of science and practice in creating a positive culture to sustain safe and healthy choices.

Rather than choosing a traditional conference format where speakers and experts share information with attendees, the 2018 CHSC symposium is designed in a way that allows attendees to have the opportunity to engage in group discussion, listen to presentations in multiple formats, and create knowledge together. Although there are many unique definitions of a symposium, they all include gaining knowledge through interaction, conversation, and partnerships.
                                                
For more information or to register, click  here .
Link:  https://chsculture.org/outreach-events/symposium-2018/ 

Please check out our website for the most up-to-date news and activities.

Is your organization hosting an event or opportunity you would like to share with the regional network? Please contact us and we will be happy to help you distribute the information.