News

APTA focuses on frontline workforce development at the Annual Meeting

Posted October 2014

APTA’s Annual Meeting in Houston October 11-15 focused extensively on the need for training current and future workers in front-line occupations.  Incoming APTA Chair Phil Washington, CEO at Denver RTD, noted the need for both career ladders to help current transit workers advance and for career pathways to bring new workers into transit.  Washington made it clear that his emphasis was on the need for training front-line technical workers.

In several discussions and formal presentations, APTA leaders and staff referred specifically to the October 7 federal forum on transportation workforce needs at the US Department of Transportation (see October 9 Weekly Update), with recognition of the work of the Center in making that forum possible.  In meetings of the APTA Human Resources Committee and the subcommittee on workforce development, the Center’s September 17 Roundtable on Career Ladders and Career Pathways was also noted in discussion.  Lydia Grose of SEPTA who chairs the APTA HR Committee praised the Center’s work and commented on how closely the Center’s training emphasis coincided with Phil Washington’s call for more attention to frontline workforce development.

Center Research Director Xinge Wang presented her research on specific transit workforce numbers to both the HR and workforce development committees.  In both venues, Center Deputy Director Jack Clark addressed an agenda for action based on the new data.  His presentation relied on the six by ten sheet laying out a full system of training and qualification for bus operators and for technicians in transit elevator-escalator, signals, rail car, bus maintenance and traction power.

For more information on their presentations, visit the Center website.