ITLC Update: Early Bird Registration Deadline August 2 for Making Connections 2024!

July 18, 2024

Making Connections 2024 Early Bird Registration Deadline Is Two Weeks Away

Don’t miss the August 2 early bird registration deadline for Transit Workforce Center’s (TWC) Making Connections 2024 – The National Transit Workforce Conference (MC24) to secure your spot at a discounted rate. Join hundreds of transit professionals from across the industry to discuss and connect around the future of transit workforce development! Conference highlights include a keynote address by the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool, five pre-conference intensive sessions (space is limited), and over twenty-five interactive sessions with exciting speakers addressing critical transit workforce development needs that align with FTA's National Transit Workforce Development Strategic Plan. 

For more information about MC24, visit the MC24 website or email mc24@transportcenter.org.

Welcome Aboard to ITLC’s New Team Members

ITLC is excited to announce the addition of Technical Assistance and Outreach Associate Alashia Bryant and Senior Advisor for Workforce Development and Technology Jason Macumber to the team.

Alashia comes to ITLC with a Bachelor of Science in Family Science from the University of Maryland. She has a strong background in mental and behavioral health, workforce development, and community engagement. Since 2018, Alashia has served as an activist for residents east of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., establishing a track record of developing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, connecting communities with essential resources for survival, and championing inclusivity and accessibility. Alashia has worked closely with non-profit organizations on relationship building, has used her personal time mentoring with Girls Prep, serves as a committee member with Black Women Thriving East of the River, and volunteers with local churches and food banks in Washington D.C. and Maryland.

Jason joins ITLC with extensive expertise in driving the development and implementation of cutting-edge training programs for zero-emission vehicle technologies. Prior to joining the team, Jason was the Director of Bus and Maintenance Training and Chairman of the Maintenance Apprenticeship Program at Pittsburgh Regional Transit. He successfully launched specialized training programs for the electric bus fleet and directed rail maintenance apprenticeship programs, aligning these initiatives with industry standards and organizational goals to help ensure workers were adept at handling advanced technologies. He is a graduate of ENO’s Transportation Mid-Manager and Senior Executive Program and holds a Performance Leadership Certification from Cornell University. He also completed the Diesel Mechanic’s program at BOCES Technical Trade School (NY State) and attained World Class Technician status at General Motors Technical College. Jason is honored to give back to an industry that has provided him and his family many opportunities.

Train-the-Trainer in Buffalo

Last month, Instructional Designer Brandon Liu and Facilitator Dennise Cardona delivered Level One Train-the-Trainer to bus maintenance and CDL trainers at Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority’s (NFTA) Cold Spring Training Facility in Buffalo, New York. The class consisted of bus maintenance and CDL trainers who ranged in experience from three months to 17 years in leading training at NFTA. They were joined by two bus maintenance trainers from Centro in Syracuse, New York.

Train-the-Trainer Level One builds foundational knowledge on adult learning theory and principles and increases effectiveness for instructors through methods, tools, and guidelines for delivering training. It uses classroom and hands-on training strategies and offers multiple sessions of mock training throughout the week. NFTA’s Superintendent of Bus Maintenance John Dembik noted that the class was well worth the time commitment, and he is ready to incorporate the next delivery for Train-the-Trainer Level Two soon.

For more information on Train-the-Trainer classes or scheduling for future sessions at your agency, contact Kristen Ribaudo at kribaudo@transportcenter.org.

Train-the-Trainer Level One participants and instructors

TWC Webinar Recordings – ZEB Resources and Apprenticeship Programs

TWC hosted two webinars in June, featuring team members and guest speakers from agencies and unions nationwide who shared critical resources, practices, and information to support key transit industry programs and initiatives.

Powering Up the Workforce

“Powering Up the Workforce: Transit Workforce Center's Zero-Emission Bus Resources” engaged individuals working on or interested in the range of workforce issues related to the transition to zero-emission fleet vehicles.

FTA’s Associate Administrator for Research, Demonstration and Innovation Dr. Mary Leary opened the webinar by offering key insights and highlights of FTA’s and TWC’s work, individually and with key partners, describing the development of resources to help promote growth and advancement for the public transit frontline workforce. Mary stated that “the Transit Workforce Center is an absolutely critical resource for zero-emission bus deployment, workforce related technical assistance, and many other activities.” Program Director John Schiavone presented on “Critical Elements in Zero-Emission Fleet Transition Planning (ZEB Workforce Development Transit Plan – Eight Steps for Development).” American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Senior Director – Bus Operations and New Vehicle Technologies Lisa Jerram spoke about the development of the national Zero-Emission Bus (ZEB) Maintenance Training Standards.

The final presentation, a collaborative effort by Instructional Designer Brandon Liu, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority’s (PSTA) Director of Maintenance Henry Lukasik, and National Transit Institute’s (NTI) Executive Director Billy Terry, covered the TWC-developed and NTI-delivered Battery Electric Bus (BEB) Familiarization Course. The webinar concluded with a lively Q&A session, featuring all panelists and moderated by Executive Director Jack Clark. The webinar recording, slides, and featured resources are available in TWC’s Resource Center.

Jack Clark, Brandon Liu, APTA's Lisa Jerram, John Schiavone, FTA's Mary Leary, PSTA's Henry Lukasik, and NTI's Billy Terry

Bus Maintenance Apprenticeship

TWC held a virtual American Transit Trainers and Apprenticeship Innovators Network (ATTAIN) meeting focusing on bus maintenance apprenticeship. Senior Workforce Development Advisor Maurice Beard opened with a presentation outlining the process and necessary steps for developing an apprenticeship program and submitting it for approval. The presentation provided instructions for identifying and contacting the appropriate state office of apprenticeship and illustrated how various program components could be altered according to the needs of the agency and its workforce partners. Senior Policy Analyst Karitsa Holdzkom facilitated a panel discussion with representatives from Fairfax County Connector and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689; and Metro Transit and ATU Local 1005. Panelists Andrew Boardman, Tim Boden, Barry Goldman, Wajma Haidary, and Theus Jones reinforced the steps conveyed during the opening presentation and shared how the apprenticeship program is structured, the benefits it offers, and the importance of labor-management partnership. Because ATTAIN builds on the collective knowledge and experience of the public transit industry, TWC reserved a large portion of the meeting for participants to engage in group discussions. Attendees were able to join in to ask questions and offer insight during the Q&A that concluded the meeting. The recording and presentation slides can be found in TWC’s Resource Center.

Panelists Barry Goldman, Theus Jones, Karitsa Holdzkom, Timothy Boden, Andrew Boardman, and Maurice Beard

TWC Presents at the CTAA EXPO

Senior Workforce Development Advisor Maurice Beard and Senior Policy Analyst Karitsa Holdzkom presented at the Community Transportation Association of America’s (CTAA) EXPO in West Palm Beach, Florida on the workforce development opportunity presented by the Low-No and Bus/Bus Facilities Grants, discussing available resources for developing a zero-emission fleet transition plan, and showcasing examples of how agencies are preparing to use the workforce development funds received for zero-emission projects. Karitsa conducted an interview with SunLine’s Dioselyn Ayala Moreno, which was played during the session, allowing attendees to hear about the training that the additional 5% added to their zero-emission Low-No grant will fund. After the presentation, TWC team members engaged with the audience to answer questions and to provide more information on where and how to access available workforce resources presented.

Xinge Wang, Karitsa Holdzkom, and Maurice Beard

Karitsa and Maurice assisting conference attendees

Mentor Forward: TWC Conducts Mentor Training for COTA

On June 3, Senior Workforce Development Advisor Maurice Beard conducted mentor training in Columbus, Ohio for Central Ohio Transit Authority’s (COTA) new mentor program, Mentor Forward. Maurice and Senior Policy Analyst Karitsa Holdzkom have collaborated with COTA’s Transportation Training Manager Melissa Thomas to support this project.

Mentor Forward is the product of a joint partnership between COTA and T ransport Workers Union (TWU) Local 208 and the dedication shown by their labor-management team. TWU Local 208 President Jarvis Williams expressed optimism that Mentor Forward will give new hires an easier time navigating the challenges of their careers, a view shared by COTA’s Director of Learning and Development-Human Resources Tracy Spikes, who was also in attendance. COTA management and TWU Local 208 have worked for nearly a year to ensure the success of their program and were gratified by the launch of the pilot in June.

COTA's management team and TWU Local 208's union leadership

NTI Leads Inaugural Delivery of BEB Familiarization Course

Instructors Frank Burnett and Brian Markey led the first official delivery of the National Transit Institute (NTI) and TWC’s Battery Electric Bus (BEB) Familiarization Course at the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority’s (PSTA) Bus Maintenance Facility. PSTA served as the host agency for ten participants, including their own mechanics and others from various locations across the country: Broward County Transit, StarMetro, and Pittsburgh Regional Transit. After an overview of the purpose behind the collaborative efforts of FTA, TWC, and NTI, FTA’s Deputy Associate Administrator for the Office of Research, Demonstration and Innovation Molly King voiced FTA's support in upskilling the frontline workforce for the upcoming electric vehicle fleet transitions that many agencies will experience.

Instructor Brian Markey demonstrating voltage measurement on a BEB to course attendees

Throughout the course’s two days, Frank and Brian led participants in both standard classroom lectures and learning exercises, while incorporating interactive activities, including a walkthrough of BEB and major high voltage components in the shop, demonstrations of Lock-Out Tag-Out (LOTO), personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines, a walkthrough of a charging station, and port and plug-in procedure. Molly, NTI’s Executive Director Billy Terry, and TWC’s Instructional Designer Brandon Liu acted as observers during the delivery process. PSTA’s Director of Maintenance Henry Lukasik and Deputy Director of Maintenance Joe Cheney acted as representatives, helping coordinate the procurement of the shop, bus, materials, and classroom.

Overall feedback on the course was very positive, with NTI continuing to select and plan additional host agency deliveries in the upcoming months. Any locations interested in hosting the course should contact Brandon Liu at bliu@transportcenter.org.

BEB Familiarization Course participants

Industry Survey

Zero-Emission Fleet Transition Survey

ITLC and Planning Communities are conducting a research project funded by the Transit Cooperative Research Program  (TCRP) titled "Zero-Emission Vehicles: New Tech, New Skills, New Jobs.” The research includes a literature review, focus groups, an industry survey, and several case studies. The project will produce a resource for transit agencies as they transition their workforce – technicians and operators – to new skills and new jobs for planning, operating, and maintaining zero-emission (ZE) fleets and technologies.

The industry surve y will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

The survey examines the level of existing ZEV skills and how transit agencies are expanding those skills to prepare their workforce for this new technology. It addresses the use of skills gap analysis, ZE impacts on recruitment, retention, and training, and the role of OEMs in providing training.
Multiple responses from an agency are welcomed.

Your participation will help ensure that this research is robust, representative, and reflects the realities faced by transit agencies. All participants will receive a copy of the final report.

The team requests that surveys be completed by July 29, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact James Farrell at jfarrell@planningcommunities.com.

Take the Survey!