News and Events
Join the Center at the NTI Transit Trainers’ Workshop
Posted February 2014
The Transportation Learning Center will host a 90-minute sessions on Standards-based Training and Apprenticeship for Frontline Technicians at the 2004 National Transit Institute (NTI) Transit Trainers’ Workshop in Long Beach, CA. During this session (starting at 10:45am on March 31), local transit trainers will benefit greatly from an introduction of new national resources for systems of training and apprenticeship, with perspectives of peer trainers who have participated in the national program development and local implementation.
Read more...Rail Vehicle Technician Qualification System Approved by TCRP Panel
Posted February 2014
The Transportation Research Board’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) will soon be publishing an important new report, An Industry-Wide System of Qualification for Transit Rail Car Technicians - Building for Success. The report presents the findings of a five-year labor-management TCRP project designed to help the industry meet the challenge of qualifying a new generation of Rail Car Technicians.
Read more...Center Releases Report on Career Pathways in Transit & Transportation
Posted February 2014
Through the generous support of the Rockefeller Foundation, The Leadership Conference Education Fund, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, awarded a seed grant to the Transportation Learning Center for the research, writing and production of a report on career pathways in transit and transportation: “Pathways to Equity: Effective Transportation Career Partnerships.”
Read more...Elevator-Escalator Repairer Apprenticeship Approved
Posted January 2014
On January 16, 2014, the US Department of Labor officially approved the Transportation Learning Center’s proposed transit elevator-escalator apprenticeship program. Elevator-Escalator thus becomes the third national transit apprenticeship approved by DOL’s Office of Apprenticeship, joining the Bus Maintenance Technician and Rail Car Maintenance Technician programs.
This new apprenticeship program is based on the industry-developed standards for training, and it incorporates the detailed courseware developed by the Consortium for Elevator-Escalator Maintenance Training.
Read more...Frontline Workforce Development Emerges as Transit Policy Priority for 2014
Posted January 2014
America’s top transit leaders - from both management and labor - are pushing for strong new workforce provisions in new legislation to reauthorize the Surface Transportation Act. Workforce provisions are very modest in MAP-21, the current federal legislation for transit, highways and passenger rail, that is due to expire in September 2014.
Read more...Events
Join the Center at the Good Jobs Green Jobs Conference - February 10-11, 2014 in Washington DC
Posted December 2013
At this year’s Good Jobs Green Jobs Conference, The Center will be part of a panel entitled Getting on Track Together: Creating Pathways to Transit and Transportation Careers for Community Members. Transit agencies face a critical frontline technical workforce shortage in the coming decade, with transit services expanding rapidly and fifty percent of the frontline workforce retiring. In crisis there is opportunity, as significant numbers of high-wage, high need transportation jobs open up in communities transit serves. These jobs provide family supportive wages and benefits, accompanied by ongoing training and opportunity for growth and advancement in this inherently green and growing sector. Panel members will discuss successful career pathways partnership models with management, labor, education, local government and community members and will ask audience members to share their knowledge and experience.
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