1-855-888-NTWC (6892)
twc@transportcenter.orgResource Center
The Transit Workforce Center is pleased to host a curated collection of publications and other materials to assist stakeholders engaged in transit workforce development. The Resource Center includes case studies, training materials, research reports, and other materials of interest, including publications produced by federal government agencies, transit organizations, and independent research entities. Resources may be filtered by topic, resource type, and transit mode. This TWC blog post explains how to use the Resource Center.
We are continuing to update the Resource Center regularly. Please contact us via the Request Help menu option if you would like assistance using the Resource Center or are looking for resources on a particular topic. We also welcome suggestions of topics or specific resources to add.
CLEAR
Pathway to Promote Diversity within Public Transit Workforce
Considering the transit industry’s existing diversity and inclusion toolkits and guidelines, this project emphasizes lessons from in-depth interviews with leaders from 18 transit agencies across the country. The report highlights: the critical factors that impact the current level of diversity and career mobility within transit agencies; how diversity efforts help explore resources and provide opportunities for effective and robust employee engagement; and the significance of evaluation systems in creating a more transparent recruitment process that initiates structural shifts, resulting in better recruiting.
Mineta Transportation Institute
August 2022
TOPICS: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access, Hiring and Recruitment, Policy and Planning, Program Evaluation and ROI
Bus Operators in Crisis
TransitCenter’s report, entitled Bus Operators in Crisis: The Steady Deterioration of One of Transit’s Most Essential Jobs, and How Agencies Can Turn Things Around, analyzes the nationwide phenomenon of bus operator shortages and advocates for enhanced job quality in the occupation.
TransitCenter
July 2022
TOPICS: Apprenticeship, Career Pathways, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access, Hiring and Recruitment, Retention
This resource also includes a link to a webinar hosted in July, 2022 presenting information from the report and slides from the webinar.
Bus Operators in Crisis Webinar Slides
Webinar: Operators in Crisis: How Did We Get Here?
Bus Operators in Crisis Report
National Transit Frontline Worker Recruitment Campaign
Across the United States, whether large, small, urban, rural, or tribal, transit agencies are facing the challenge of recruiting and retaining drivers, mechanics, and technicians who can operate and maintain the buses of our public transit systems. To help support local transit efforts, TWC is developing the #ConnectingMyCommunity national frontline worker recruitment campaign, coordinated with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and industry, labor, and community partners from around the country.
Transit Workforce Center
July 2022
TOPICS: Apprenticeship, Career Pathways, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access, Hiring and Recruitment, Labor-Management Partnerships, Retention, Safety and Health, Trainer and Mentor Development, Training, Zero Emission Buses
Bus Operator Recruitment and Retention: Confronting Obstacles and Creating Opportunity
This multimedia case study details a high-road training partnership jointly operated by Golden Gate Transit and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1575.
Transit Workforce Center; Golden Gate Transit; Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1575
June 2022
LEARN MORE
Golden Gate Transit (GGT) serves four counties in San Francisco’s North Bay. GGT suspended approximately 90% of its commute service during COVID. As of Spring 2022, the agency was operating at roughly 50% of pre -COVID service levels, but needed to hire and retain large numbers of bus operators as ridership demand returned. To achieve this goal, a GGT and ATU labor-management partnership created a high-road training partnership that worked with local colleges and California Transit Works to establish bus operator mentorship, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs. To guide its initiatives and actions, the partnership also examined data and asked underlying questions about the root causes of their employment challenges, resulting in reevaluating and adjusting some of its pathways to employment and hiring guidelines.
This resource contains presentation slides and video of a Golden Gate Transit/ATU presentation. The entire June 7, 2022 TWC webinar, Recruiting and Developing Today’s Transit Workforce, can be found here. It includes a question and answer session, beginning at 51:53, that covers more detail on this and other recruitment initiatives discussed in the webinar.
The Power of Partnership: Automotive Technology/Collision Career Technical Education Program
This multimedia case study details an internship program developed by the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) and Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 208. This resource contains a brief written summary, presentation slides, and video of a COTA-TWU Local 208 presentation.
Transit Workforce Center; Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA); Transport Workers Union Local 208
June 2022
LEARN MORE
To meet its need for vehicle maintenance technicians, COTA leadership partnered with TWU Local 208 and Columbus City Schools to provide a Vehicle Maintenance Internship Program, helping students already enrolled in an automotive program to develop additional technology competencies and prepare them for entry level positions. The COTA Vehicle Maintenance Internship Program provides career technical center high school students who have completed their junior year in a participating career-technical program the opportunity to work as paid interns in the Vehicle Maintenance Department at COTA. Students receive classroom training, hands-on training, laboratory experiences, and are partnered with mentors in preparation to enter the workforce as entry level automotive/collision technologies service technicians. From this foundation, COTA has now established a state-registered pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship program to support vehicle technician hiring, retention, and workforce development.
Strategic Workforce Planning in Transit: Recruiting and Developing Today’s Transit Workforce
This is the second in the Transit Workforce Center’s webinar series on strategic workforce development planning in transit. It focuses on how transit agencies and partner organizations are working to meet the significant recruitment challenges across the country and how to best turn these challenges into opportunities to reach, attract, and retain a diverse workforce.
Transit Workforce Center
June 2022
TOPICS: Apprenticeship, Hiring and Recruitment, Labor-Management Partnerships, Mentorship, Retention, Workforce Shortage
Linked below are a video recording of the webinar, the associated slides, and a webpage where all past TWC webinars are available.
Transit Manager’s Toolkit: Driver Recruitment, Training, and Retention
This toolkit from National RTAP introduces both requirements and suggested practices in driver recruiting/hiring, retention/motivation, and training. It includes information about federal requirements, how to create a positive work environment, and training standards.
National Rural Transit Assistance Program
May 2022
TOPICS: Hiring and Recruitment, Retention, Training
Higher Education Practices to Prepare Future Transportation Professionals Regarding Disability, Accessibility, and Mobility Management
This National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) Information Brief provides the results of a NCMM study regarding mobility management, disability, and accessibility content in higher education preparation programs. This brief offers recommendations regarding how to integrate such content, as well as information on the recruitment and retention of individuals with disabilities in the transportation industry.
Please click the link below to view NCMM’s Mobility Management in Practice Series; this brief is listed among several 2022 publications.