News

Teleconference Attendees Discuss Apprenticeship Implementation

Posted March 2018

As part of its program to expand registered apprenticeships in transit, the Center organized a teleconference on February 22 with labor and management representatives from Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA). The purpose of the conference was to give these key stakeholders a better understanding of the advantages of a bus maintenance apprenticeship. Also participating were labor and management representatives of the Center’s Bus Maintenance Apprenticeship Committee, of which NFTA is a member, who offered their insights to implementing competency-based bus maintenance apprenticeship programs.

Discussion topics included procedures to qualify apprenticeship candidates, ways in which apprentices are recruited, coordination between agency instructors and labor mentors, premiums paid to mentors, testing procedures to prove competency, and responsibilities of joint labor-management committee formed at each agency to direct the apprenticeship program. The Center is offering to organize other such teleconferences to assist agencies in implementing their own apprenticeships as they work towards achieving registered status. As reported earlier, the Department of Labor has now approved the Bus Maintenance Apprenticeship Framework.

For additional information on the bus maintenance apprenticeship program contact Center Program Director John Schiavone at John Schiavone