News

GCRTA and ATU Local 268 Railcar Apprenticeship is Approved by the Ohio State Apprenticeship Council

Posted October 2017

Standing: Perry Osbey-ATU Local 268, Eric Cunningham-ATU Local 268, Wayne Bender-ATU Local 268, Ed Kawecki-GCRTA, George Fields-GCRTA
Sitting: Ronald W. Jackson Sr.-ATU Local 268, Bruce E. Hampton-GCRTA

On October 4, 2017, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 268 received approval from the Ohio State Apprenticeship Council of their Railcar Apprenticeship program. GCRTA and ATU Local 268 have been working with the Center for the last two years to develop, implement, and register their rail car apprenticeship program. This 30-month apprenticeship program provides GCRTA with the opportunity to develop a pipeline of skilled employees, which addresses the need to fill hard to find, specialized, highly technical positions. These types of initiatives are critical to GCRTA workforce needs as GCRTA’s rail operation is the only one of its kind in Ohio. It involves a combination of supervised on-the-job training, classroom instruction, and mentoring in order to develop skilled employees in all phases of the industry.

Additionally, GCRTA and ATU Local 268 are participating in the Railcar and Signals Consortium Curriculum, which will provide the transit industry with standardized curriculum that can be a value added in this new apprenticeship program.