News

Center Highlights Frontline Worker Training at APTA Conference

Posted June 2013

Earlier this week, the Center moderated two different panels at the APTA Rail Conference in Philadelphia:
• Standards-Based Training Partnerships for Frontline Employees
• Quality Training Enhances Your State of Good Repair

Dennis Boston, Vice President of the Brother of Railroad Signalmen, speaks about the Signals Consortium. Other Panelists (left to right): Xinge Wang, Research Director at the Center; Kerry Kopp Light Rail Maintenance Trainer at SacRTD; Brian Turner, Director of the Center; Jerome Moore Elevator/Escalator Specialist at SEPTA/TWU 234; Ed LaGuardia, Chief Engineering Officer of Buildings & Structures

The “Standards-Based Training Partnerships for Frontline Employees” panel was comprised of representatives from three active national, industry committees convened by the Center and composed of labor and management subject matter experts (rail vehicle, transit elevator-escalator and signals). The speaksers explained how their work ties into a larger framework of turning transit locations into high-performing organizations. In a time of many retirements and changing technologies, participants were excited to find a consortium training model which would provide quality training for new employees as well as career ladder training opportunities. All this will also save money by sharing the cost among many properties. The following session on enhancing state of good repair (SOGR) took a broader look at the impact of training, specifically on how training offers a large return on investment through increasing mean distance between failures and opportunities for insourcing while lowering repair costs and safety accidents.