Publications and Reports

The purpose of this report is to serve as a guidebook, offering information that transit agencies can use to establish mentoring as a training method with guidance, suggestions, and examples to implement or expand upon existing mentoring programs. It is based on a generic mentoring guidebook developed by the USDOT, modified and enhanced to reflect transit maintenance applications.

Meeting the challenge of developing fully qualified transit rail car maintenance technicians is the goal of Transit Cooperative Research Project (TCRP) E-7, Developing an Industry-Wide System of Qualification for Transit Rail Car Technicians – Building for Success. The best answer, fine tuned by transit industry experts working on this project, is a new multi-part, industry-wide system of qualification. This system brings together a broad range of training components including:
•  National training standards
•  Progressive classroom curriculum and courseware integrated with structured on-the-job learning,
•  A credential management system that keeps track of the worker’s training experience and skills
•  Apprenticeship frameworks with well designed sequences of learning, support of learners by trained mentors, and specialized training for instructors.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA) have featured the Transportation Learning Center on its Competency Model Clearinghouse website as a “Competency Model in Action”. The case study of Center work, featured in ETA’s September posting, was titled “Transportation Learning Center Launches New Competency-Based Curriculum for Transit Occupations.”

Labeling the Center an “industry champion” in developing ETA’s Transportation, Distribution and Logistics Competency Model to help meet the transportation industry’s frontline employment needs” challenge, the case study features two key aspects of the Center’s work. The Center’s work creates bridges between the competencies developed in high schools, community and vocational colleges and workforce development programs with the competencies needed as incoming and apprentice workers in frontline transit positions. The Center’s education and training program, the Transit Core Competencies Curriculum (TC3) is currently being developed and piloted in selected locations.

ETA also highlights the Center’s work with industry subject matter experts across the country to put together a multiple-module training curriculum with instructor-ready courseware for incumbent frontline workers.

Finally, the case study notes the Center’s work with a range of national industry, education and workforce development organizations, as well as with ETA’s Office of Apprenticeship and the Urban Institute, to establish Registered Apprenticeships in five frontline transit occupations — Elevator-Escalator Technician, Signals Technician, Rail Car Technician, Bus Maintenance Technician and Transit Coach Operator.

This guidebook is developed by the Transportation Learning Center working with Jobs for the Future for the Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education.

This Guide outlines the steps that transportation industry stakeholders can take to develop or expand Career Pathways to focus on the skills, competencies, and credentials needed for high-demand jobs in the transportation industry and its subsectors. Specifically, this Guide: 

• Provides a rationale for change, by describing the increasing need for skilled workers in the transportation industry and concerns over the prospect of a skilled worker shortage over the next 10 years if nothing is done;
• Identifies the potential of Career Pathways systems for addressing the skill needs of the current and future transportation industry workforce; and
• Describes a process for developing Career Pathways in transportation. 

The collection and analysis of employment and skills data highlights the future growth areas and employment “hot spots” in transportation by industry subsectors, occupations, career areas, and geographic areas. It also emphasizes the need for skills training and Career Pathways across the transportation industry. The report identifies high-demand jobs with good wages, and analyzes the patterns in the education and work experience required for entry, as well as on-the-job training required for new entrants to gain full competency.