News

Transit Workforce Development and Emerging Technologies: Panel Conversation at ITS America

Posted May 2024

ITLC’s Deputy Director Xinge Wang joined a distinguished panel at the ITS America 2024 Conference and Expo in Phoenix last week, in a session titled "A Conversation on Transit Workforce Development and Emerging Technologies.” FTA’s Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool moderated the session, and she praised TWC’s valuable technical assistance to agencies to help tackle workforce challenges. Fellow panelists included FTA’s Office of Research, Demonstration, and Innovation Associate Administrator Mary Leary, National Transit Institute’s Executive Director Billy Terry, and Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority’s Director of Maintenance Henry Lukasik.

 

The group offered great insights on addressing the impact of emerging technologies and how to develop a workforce that can help agencies leverage the capabilities of these technologies. Following the theme of the conference, “Accelerating Digital Transformation,” Xinge offered TWC’s new digital resource, the Transit Workforce Data Dashboard, which provides visual, interactive, and easily digestible workforce trends, initiatives on Zero-Emission Bus workforce transition and skills development, and agency strategies to improve recruitment and retention of the frontline workforce in the era of rapidly changing technologies.