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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.
ATTAIN Bus Operator Apprenticeship Meeting
TWC’s American Transit Training and Apprenticeship Innovators Network (ATTAIN) met on May 17, 2024 to discuss bus operator apprenticeship. Check out the recording for short presentations from transit peers across the country and an engaging and interactive discussion about the development of bus operator mentorship and apprenticeship programs, how they work, and the benefits they offer.
Transit Workforce Center
May 2024
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Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grants
Administering Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Closing Date for Applications: Jul 25, 2024
Estimated Total Program Funding: Total funds available: $932,000,000
Geographic Scope: National
TOPICS: Funding Opportunities, Zero Emission Buses
Description: This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities to incentivize and accelerate the replacement of existing non-ZE Class 6 and 7 heavy-duty vehicles, which includes some transit vehicles, with ZE vehicles. The EPA anticipates awarding up to $932 million in funds under this Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles (CHDV) Grants NOFO, subject to the availability of funds, the quantity and quality of applications received, support for communities overburdened by air pollution, applicability of different business models, and other applicable considerations described in this document. This funding to support ZE vehicles will benefit communities across the United States (U.S.), especially communities that are disproportionately burdened by air pollution and marginalized by underinvestment. Funding can be used for workforce development and training.
Critical Sector Job Quality Grants
Administering Agency: Department of Labor – Employment and Training Administration
Closing Date for Applications: July 15, 2024
Estimated Total Program Funding: $12,000,000
Award Ceiling: $3,000,000
Geographic Scope: National
TOPICS: Funding Opportunities, Labor-Management Partnerships, Policy and Planning, Zero Emission Buses
Description: The purpose of this demonstration program is to support transformative efforts to improve job quality and availability of good jobs, particularly for the benefit of historically marginalized populations and communities that have experienced barriers to employment in good jobs. The primary focus of these demonstration grants is expanding job quality in the care, climate resiliency and clean energy transition, and hospitality sectors. In the transit industry, these funds could support job quality for those operating and/or maintaining zero-emission buses. These demonstration grants will support industry-led, worker-centered sector strategies built through labor-management partnerships aimed at improving job quality in key sectors. These partnerships will address equity, job quality, and worker voice as they design training models and train workers for family-supporting jobs. Projects under this announcement will fund both short-term capacity-building planning grants and longer-term implementation grants.
Posted June 6, 2024 to TWC Resource Center. Please refer to the link below for the most up to date information from the funder.
Latino Workforce and Recruitment Webinar
In this webinar, panelists explore crucial strategies for not only attracting but also retaining Latino demographics within your organization. The session delves into the latest industry trends, innovative development approaches, recruitment incentives, and cultural insights for engaging with all demographics effectively. Hear directly from the experts at Latinos In Transit as they discuss the opportunities available for employers seeking to tap into this rapidly growing demographic.
South West Transit Association
May 2024
TOPICS: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access, Hiring and Recruitment, Retention, Workforce Shortage
FY24 Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program
Administering Agency: Department of Transportation
Posted Date: May 13, 2024
Closing Date for Applications: Jul 12, 2024, 5:00 pm Eastern Time
Estimated Total Program Funding: Total funds available: $50,000,000 — Grant award maximum: $2,000,000; Grant award minimum: $250,000
Geographic Scope: National
TOPICS: Funding Opportunities
Description: The purpose of this notice is to solicit applications for Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Stage 1 Planning and Prototyping grants. Funds for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Stage 1 SMART Grants Program are to be awarded on a competitive basis to conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced smart city or community technologies and systems to improve transportation efficiency and safety.
As established in law, projects funded by the SMART Grants Program use advanced data, technology, and applications to provide significant benefits to a local area, a State, a region, or the United States. These benefits align to the following categories: safety and reliability; resiliency; equity and access; climate; and partnerships.
The Department will prioritize SMART Grant funding applications that demonstrate the following characteristics: fit, scale, and adoption; data sharing, cybersecurity, and privacy; workforce development; and measurement and validation.
Mississippi’s Developing Responsible Individuals with Valuable Education (DRIVE) Program
This TWC case study is about the Mississippi Developing Responsible Individuals with Valuable Education (DRIVE) Program, which uses Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, distributed by the Mississippi Home Corporation (MHC), to partners such as Grace House, Inc. and Community Development, Inc. (CDI). These partners use the funding in a variety of creative ways to provide housing and other supportive services to DRIVE participants while they complete training and certification for a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Partners also provide job assistance to participants, placing them and helping them succeed in local transit jobs. Learn more about the program, services offered, and how stakeholders leverage funding in the full case study.
Transit Workforce Center
May 2024
TOPICS: Career Pathways, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access, Hiring and Recruitment, Policy and Planning, Training, Workforce Shortage
Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities (WORC) Round 6: A Grant Initiative for the Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Border Regions
Administering Agency: Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
Posted Date: Apr 4, 2024
Closing Date for Applications: Jun 20, 2024, 11:59 pm Eastern Time
Estimated Total Program Funding: Total funds available: $49,200,000 — Grant award maximum: $1,500,000; Grant award minimum: $150,000
Geographic Scope: Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Border Regions
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Description: The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $49,200,000 in grant funds authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) for the sixth round of Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Initiative demonstration grants. The WORC Initiative provides grant funds to enable impacted communities to develop local and regional workforce development solutions aligned with existing economic development strategies and community partnerships to promote new, sustainable job opportunities and long-term economic vitality. Questions regarding this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) may be emailed to DOL-ETA-DWG@dol.gov. We encourage prospective applicants and interested parties to use the Grants.gov subscription option to register for future updates provided for this particular FOA.
Passenger Ferry Grant Program
Administering Agency: Federal Transit Administration
Posted Date: Apr 17, 2023
Closing Date for Applications: Jun 17, 2023, 11:59 pm Eastern Time
Funding Range: Estimated Total Program Funding: $51,000,000
Geographic Scope: National
TOPICS: Funding Opportunities, Policy and Planning
Description: The Passenger Ferry Program provides funding to improve the condition and quality of existing passenger ferry services, support the establishment of new passenger ferry services, and repair and modernize ferry boats, terminals, and related facilities and equipment. Under the Passenger Ferry Program only, recipients are permitted to use up to 0.5 percent of their grant award to pay for not more than 80 percent of the cost for workforce development activities and an additional 0.5 percent for costs associated with training at the National Transit Institute.