News
Center Delivers First Transit Coach Operator Mentor Training at Greater Cleveland Regional Transport
Posted July 2017
From Left to Right (Bottom): Bryan Moore, Patrick J. Mullen, Yvonne Syphax, Gerald D. Sanders, Ivan Sollivan, Theresa Elder-Jones, Omeal Mullings. Top: Perry Osby, Kenneth Stenson, Jr., Dianna Tellis, James Hylton, Gary White
On Wednesday, July 12, 2017, the Center delivered its first transit coach operator Train-the-Mentor course at GCRTA which was developed under the American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) project. Yvonne Syphax, Center Consultant, trained nine transit coach operators/mentors. The one-day training program focused on the qualities, essential skills, and the five primary 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. Also discussed was the importance of helping mentees to develop balanced work-life behaviors, and the necessity of using a variety of health and wellness techniques. Participants particularly enjoyed practicing and critiquing their mentoring skills during the interactive scenarios segment of the training which provided them with an opportunity to simulate real-life mentoring sessions. Some commented that they didn’t realize the importance of their role as mentors until they took this course.
The Operator Mentor training was developed as an additional component to the Transit Coach Operator Apprenticeship program that the Center is currently working on through AAI. GCRTA is currently scheduled to run its first pilot of the Coach Operator program which emphasizes continued mentorship of transit coach operators, even after they have completed their initial training. The goal is to provide support for transit coach operators so that they can be successful in their careers as operators and reduce turnover rates for the agency. The Center will be working with other transit authorities committed to developing a coach operator apprenticeship to provide additional transit coach operator mentor training.
