ITLC Goes to Ohio Transit Expo

The ITLC/TWC continued its outreach to public transit leaders and held conversations about transit workforce challenges and strategies at the Ohio Needs Transit Conference and Ohio Public Transit Association Expo 2022 from October 3^rd to 5^th in Columbus, Ohio. Executive Director Jack Clark led a workshop on the transit workforce shortage and the role of training partnerships on the first day of the conference, and presented in sessions including an overview of labor-management partnerships with ATU Director of Apprenticeship and Workforce Development Jamaine Gibson and Deputy General Manager of Human Resources, Greater Cleveland RT George F. Fields. Douglas Nevins, ITLC/TWC Researcher, staffed a table at the conference expo and shared information about resources and opportunities, including the upcoming Making Connections conference, with attendees. 

Join the TWC “Train-the-Trainer” Online Training and Learning Technologies Webinar

Tues. - Oct 25 – 1:00pm ET

The Transit Workforce Center will host a 3-part series of progressive webinars designed to bring concrete, usable information for trainers to apply to their area of expertise. The webinars will:

• Create online resources that meet learners’ needs,
• Identify and map skills for organizational effectiveness and role-specific success, and
• Develop and deliver instructions for trainers, mentors, and training programs

The webinar series will kick off with a topic on everyone’s mind: Online Training and Learning Technologies. . This webinar will look at ways to support you in developing robust, remote training programs that provide learners with on-demand resources in the field, onsite, or in their home office. The webinar will approach training with the understanding that remote work, like in-person, can sometimes be demanding and challenging to any transit professional, whether an operator, engineer, mentor, frontline trainer, agency trainer, or state program director.

For more information or to register, click here.

Accepting Applications for ITLC Communications Associate

The International Transportation Learning Center (ITLC), operator of the Transit Workforce Center (TWC), seeks a candidate with entry-level communication skills to further the mission of advancing comprehensive workforce development programs to support public transportation’s bus drivers, mechanics, technicians, and other frontline transit workers across the country. This candidate will play a critical role on our team through public relations, social media, and outreach support. For more info, visit here.

Register Now for Making Connections – December 13-14, 2022

Join us for Making Connections 2022: The National Transit Workforce Conference at Capitol Hilton in Washington, D.C., December 13-14, 2022. This conference brings together participants from urban, suburban, rural, and tribal public transportation with industry stakeholders for plenaries, workshops, ongoing dialogue, and networking. Conference registration, hotel, and sponsorship information can be found on the registration page (click here). For general conference inquiries, contact Brandon Liu: [email protected]. Making Connections 2022 is organized by the Transit Workforce Center (TWC) and co-sponsored by the National Transit Institute (NTI).

Transit Workforce Shortage: Root Causes, Potential Solutions, and the Road Ahead

APTA – Oct. 10, 2022

Public transportation providers across North America face a shortage of operators and mechanics during a period of economic instability and reshuffling exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In order for the public transportation industry to better understand the workforce shortage’s causes and provide best practices for recruiting, hiring, and retaining transit operations workers, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has produced a new report entitled Transit Workforce Shortage: Root Causes, Potential Solutions, and the Road Ahead. This new study not only outlines the nature and severity of the transit workforce shortage, but the report also highlights what agencies and the industry can do to deal with these workforce issues by combining background research and the results from surveys of public transit agencies.

APTA TRANSform 2022: Book launch for ‘Conversations on Equity and Inclusion in Public Transportation’

Mass Transit - Oct. 11, 2022

The exhibition show floor provided a welcoming setting for the launch of Paul Comfort’s latest book, Conversations on Equity and Inclusion in Public Transportation. The book features 20 top public transportation officials from across America and Australia discussing practical steps on how they are improving their services and providing more equity and inclusion both in their agencies and the communities they serve.

Michigan: Local bus, housing agencies join forces in unique project

Mass Transit – Oct. 7, 2022

TRAVERSE CITY — A unique project combining a Bay Area Transit Authority center with more than 200 units of workforce housing, 15 Habitat for Humanity homes and a neighborhood childcare facility was the focus of a presentation at the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners' regular meeting Wednesday.

MARTA names Collie Greenwood as sole finalist for role of GM/CEO

Mass Transit - Oct. 7, 2022

Collie Greenwood may soon hang up the “interim” part of the title interim general manager and chief executive officer of Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) following the MARTA Board of Directors’ GM/CEO Search Committee advancing Greenwood as the sole finalists to fill the role permanently.

L.A. Metro opens K Line

Mass Transit - Oct. 10, 2022

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro), along with local, state and federal officials and stakeholders, opened the K Line on Oct. 7. The 8.5-mile light-rail line connects Expo/Crenshaw station to Westchester/Veterans and will eventually extend to Los Angeles International Airport and a station at Aviation/Century.

Can Virginia transit providers innovate their way out of an operator shortage?

Virginia Mercury - Oct 7, 2022

For just one week in May, Hampton Roads Transit had enough bus operators to provide riders with “reliable service,” according to an internal report. But for the rest of 2022, Virginia’s largest public transportation provider has struggled to staff its dozens of routes — at one point even facing a dearth of over 100 drivers in order to offer full service to the region of 1.8 million people.