Center Update
ITLC Provides Mentor Training for Two CA Transit Agencies
The International Transportation Learning Center (ITLC) provided five mentor training sessions at two transit agencies over the course of two weeks in September. The mentor training program was developed as an additional component to the registered apprenticeship programs that ITLC has supported through a U.S. DOL American Apprenticeship Initiative grant. Stuart Bass, with support from Karitsa Holdzkom, facilitated the full-day mentor training programs. They traveled first to San Diego MTS where they trained 17 bus maintenance apprenticeship mentors.

September 8, Mentor Training Session at San Diego MTS

September 9, Mentor Training Session at San Diego MTS

Kiko Diaz, IBEW Local 465 Assistant Business Manager, addresses the mentors
 
Mentor training programs were also provided to AC Transit where 23 mentors for both the bus operator and maintenance apprenticeship programs received the training.

Mentor Training Sessions at AC Transit

Mentors at AC Transit role-playing to practice mentoring skill
Every session allowed time for the mentors to bring up specific issues that they have dealt with and get advice from peers and training managers. At both agencies, union and management leadership described the history of the apprenticeship programs and the work that was done to make the apprenticeships successful. The need for unions and agencies to work collaboratively to improve training was also highlighted.
The mentor training curriculum explores learning styles, effective communication strategies, and the qualities, skills, and roles of a successful mentor. It included an in-depth review of adult learning styles and their impact on building and maintaining positive mentoring relationships. Participants practiced what they learned during interactive scenarios which provided them with an opportunity to simulate real-life mentoring sessions.    

For more information on mentor training, please contact Karitsa Holdzkom.
Upcoming Webinars
UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies – September 30, 3:30 pm ET
COVID-19 has exacerbated trends of increasing transit ridership and increasing costs that existed before the pandemic. What changes will be short-lived? Which may change transit for the longer term?
 
eLearning Learning – October 5, 12:30 pm ET
The sad reality is that most eLearning courses require learners to sit through a disappointing experience, where information is poorly organized, the content isn’t relevant, and the interactions seem contrived and without purpose. This is compounded even more when the slideshow-like presentation is interrupted with several poorly written quiz questions and cheesy animations to make it all seem “fun.” In this session, we will explore many of the reasons why most eLearning fails and the components that contribute to bad eLearning design. we will also explore how bad eLearning design can negatively affect the learning experience. Finally, this session will walk you through several practical methods you can immediately apply to fix your bad eLearning courses.

Eno Center for Transportation – October 5, 4:00 pm ET
By popular demand, Eno is excited to host Women at the Helm 2.0 with some of the transportation industry’s leading women—Jennifer Aument, Marjorie Dickman, Nuria Haltiwanger, Denise Roth, and Kimberly Slaughter. These powerhouse leaders are returning to answer the most frequently asked audience questions from the last webinar. How do you navigate the different expectations for women in the workplace? How do you know when you’re ready for a bigger role? How can the transportation industry ensure that leadership roles are accessible to women of color? The speakers will share their thought leadership, key insights, and personal stories about their careers. Join these leading luminaries for an intimate conversation on the future of women in transportation.
 
Eno Center for Transportation – October 7, 2:00 pm ET
According to Eno’s newest report, railroads are among the safest modes of transportation for workers, riders, and the public. Strong federal standards for railroad track and operations, technological investments like positive train control, and communities’ infrastructure improvements have yielded significant gains. But most of these gains have plateaued and in some cases safety trends are moving in the wrong direction. A new strategy and framework is needed to address the most significant safety issues facing railroads. Join us for a discussion with the industry’s leading safety experts to explore trends in railroad safety data and actionable recommendations for federal, state, local, and private sector actors to make a demonstrable improvement in railroad safety.

UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies – October 7, 3:30 pm ET
Transit's finances have been temporarily boosted by a series of federal stimulus bills. California's budget surplus has also provided additional funding for transit. But what happens after agencies exhaust these one-time infusions of funds?
 
Next City - October 13, 1:00 pm ET
Transportation systems are vital to cities and their residents. They connect communities to each other, to local amenities, and to economic opportunities. But these networks can also divide, cutting people and communities off and concentrating adverse effects in some areas while sparing others. Even a quick glance at mid-20th-century urban planning in the U.S. shows how transportation decisions ripped apart Black and brown communities in order to build interstates that better connected white suburbs to downtown cores. We can and need to do better— and data can help. Hear from Replica General Counsel Kiran Jain about one of the most powerful tools public agencies can use to assess inequities in the built environment — and how Replica, a data platform for the built environment, is working with cities to create more equitable infrastructure.
Public Transportation
Government Technology - September 23, 2021
Public transit riders in post-lockdown America want their buses and trains to arrive on time, with shorter wait times, and they want to be kept up to speed on crowding and cleanliness. You could say these are the basics of what riders have always generally expected from their local bus service. But just as the coronavirus pandemic has upended so much of life in America, transit also finds itself in a place of reset from its business-as-usual comfort zone.
 
Business Insider – September 27, 2021
Part of the US labor market's difficulties can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic motivating older workers to retire earlier than planned. At the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which employs more than 66,000 people, that rush to the exits has left the agency with about 5,000 fewer workers since the start of the pandemic, the New York Daily News reported.
 
TransitCenter – September 22, 2021
When transit works well, it’s a great equalizer, providing affordable access to jobs, education, and other daily destinations without barriers linked to race, class, gender, or ability. But transit has also been shaped by the systemic racism and discrimination that’s pervasive in American life. The best transit is most accessible to white, affluent riders, while slow, unreliable service is the norm in Black and brown neighborhoods. Transit infrastructure is often hostile to people with disabilities. Transit routes and schedules tend to cater to men’s travel patterns at the expense of women’s, and women are at greater risk of violence and harassment on transit.
Transit Partners
The Washington Post – September 25, 2021
As ridership hovers near historic lows, Metro’s leaders are hopeful federal workers soon will return en masse, but acknowledge they need other options if they don’t.
Workforce Development
Aspen Institute - September 23, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened appreciation for the critical role frontline workers play in keeping businesses running and communities safe. Business leaders increasingly recognize that listening to workers isn’t just an equity imperative; workers hold unique expertise that can improve business performance. Engaging workers and creating the conditions for them to fully contribute not only unleashes productivity, but reveals that the high cost of turnover need not be tolerated as a cost of doing business. Workforce organizations can serve as a key catalyst in unlocking worker expertise and engagement in ways that strengthen job quality, equity, and the business bottom line.
Labor News
Common Dreams - September 22, 2021
One thing that helps the LGBTQ community in their fight for equal labor rights is union representation. Being part of a union is a worker's most significant strength when combatting unequal treatment, as, under union contracts, you cannot be fired for gender identity or sexual orientation. Many states, especially those in the Southern United States, do not have anti-discrimination laws that prevent this type of discrimination. Therefore, it is up to the union to be a watchdog for the rights of these LGBTQ workers when they often do not have the means to fight their employers' abuses on their own.

IAM - September 23, 2021
The Machinists Union is following through on its promise to support women in their efforts to rise through the ranks of the IAM to leadership positions across North America. International President Robert Martinez Jr. announced the creation of the Leadership Excellence Assembly of Dedicated Sisters (LEADS) program earlier this year. The program’s mission is to prepare more IAM sisters for the roles of Business Representatives, Directing Business Representatives, President/Directing General Chairs and other union leaders, so they can make informed decisions about seeking higher office.­
Safety & Health
Streetsblog – September 22, 2021
making holistic safety and equity data easily available would go a long way towards integrating public health into the transit planning process. But in a perfect world, good metrics wouldn’t just be easy to find — agencies would be required to reference them anytime they built something new, and face real consequences if they, for instance, decided to send millions in badly-needed urban transit funding to expand suburban highways.

Mass Transit - September 21, 2021
The two-minute video is aimed at transportation service providers and drivers. It includes tips on how to interact with guide dog teams with specific suggestions for rideshare drivers, such as verbally identifying themselves when picking up a guide dog team. The video also includes etiquette for members of the general public who may be taking a subway or bus with a guide dog team. 
Green News
Institute for Transportation & Development Policy - September 23, 2021
Recently, bus electrification technology has improved, making it cheaper and more efficient. With longer battery life, technology is easier to scale. The total cost of ownership has dropped and continues to drop, making them electric buses financially competitive with diesel and gas powered buses.
International Transportation Learning Center
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