Resource Center

Session Description: This session explored mental health and wellness among frontline transit workers, offering actionable insights from the latest research, practical applications, and best practices. Presenters also highlighted the role and importance of workforce development strategies in promoting a healthier, more productive workforce, and its potential organizational impacts, such as reduced turnover and absenteeism.

Moderator: 

• Karen Philbrick: Executive Director/CEO – Mineta Transportation Institute

Speakers:

• Janie Berry: Deputy Director of Human Resources –Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
• Sandy Brennan: Vice President and Project Manager – Foursquare Integrated Transportation Planning
• Michael Coplen: President & Founder – TrueSafety Evaluation, LLC
• John Courtney: Amalgamated Transportation Union Representative – Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265
• Ed Watt: Principal – WattADR

MC24 Transit Worker Mental Health slides

Session Description: Participants explored effective methods for identifying training needs and assessing workforce skills gaps to develop robust training programs, all in the context of ensuring worker voice and involvement. The session covered tools and techniques for evaluating current training needs for frontline workers, identified areas for improvement, and aligned training strategies with organizational goals. Attendees learned how to use data-driven approaches to map out training priorities that address immediate operational needs and long-term workforce development.

Moderators:

• Kristen Ribaudo: Senior Instructional Designer – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center
• Stu Bass: Principal – Progress Worx; Founding Director – Keystone Development Partnership

Speakers:

• Jeffrey Di Perna: Financial Secretary/Treasurer – Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85 (PA)
• Jason Macumber: Senior Advisor of Workforce Development and Technology – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center

MC24 Training Needs, Skills Gaps, and Training Programs slides

Session Description: Employment in public transportation is affected by broad economic and demographic dynamics, but honing in on transit workforce trends can be challenging. The Transit Workforce Center created the Transit Workforce Data Dashboard to distill relevant data points from national datasets. In this session, TWC highlighted specific employment patterns and challenges in transit-related occupations and panelists covered research and trends in national and agency-level datasets.

Moderator: 

• Michaela Boneva: Research Associate – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center

Speakers:

• Nick Biggar: District Director – Greater Cleveland RTA
• Valerie Campo: Mentor Program Coordinator – Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit
• Douglas Nevins: Senior Researcher – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center
• Darnell Morris: Vice President – ATU Local 268, Greater Cleveland RTA
• Dr. Shanta Hejmadi: Senior Data Scientist– Metro Transit (MN)

MC24 Tracking Your Impact GCRTA Positive Impact Program MC24 Tracking Your Impact MTD mentoring metrics MC24 Tracking Your Impact Metro Transit data tracking

Session Description: An Increasing number of transit agencies across the country have begun mentorship programs to support the frontline workforce and facilitate the sharing of knowledge and skills from experienced workers to new employees. These programs offer many benefits, including improved rates of retention and absenteeism, stronger relationships between the workforce and management, and better employee morale. During this session, attendees learned how transit agencies are incorporating innovative models to tap into the full potential of mentorship programs. Panelists described the positive changes that have resulted from mentorship programs and how they are incorporating new and innovative applications and approaches to multiply these benefits.

Moderator: 

• George Fields: Deputy General Manager, Human Resources – Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority

Speakers:

• Ida Marshall: Senior Talent Acquisition Manager – Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
• Wendy V. Talley: Director, Training & Employee Development – Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
• Reginald Howard: President – Amalgamated Transit Union Local 788 (St. Louis)
• Trenise Winters: Assistant Executive Director – Bi-State Development/Metro Transit (St. Louis)
• Maurice Beard: Sr. Workforce Development Advisor – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center
• Karitsa Holdzkom: Senior Policy Analyst – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center

MC24 Innovative Mentoring Models slides

Session Description: Want to make your workforce metrics more digestible, interactive, and insightful? Robust data can provide insights into the success of transit workforce development programs, hiring trends over time, and more, but raw data can be hard to interpret and analyze. Using TWC’s Transit Workforce Data Dashboard as a model, participants in this intensive explored methods for creating powerful and easily understandable data visualizations. These graphs and charts can support transit providers’ and unions’ efforts to measure and effectively communicate program metrics and employment trends.

Speakers:

• Andrew Carpenter: Director – National Center for Applied Transportation Technology
• Douglas Nevins: Senior Researcher – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center
• Dr. Shayna Gleason: Senior Researcher – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center
• Michaela Boneva: Research Associate – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center

MC24 Elevating Your Workforce Data slides

Session Description: Are you looking to establish a program that increases retention, provides an edge in recruitment, and advances a positive and collaborative organizational culture? Well-organized mentorship programs with carefully-selected and trained mentors provide documented benefits for frontline workers and the organization as a whole. Check out this intensive full-day workshop to explore how to:

• Initiative, develop, manage, and maintain a strong mentorship program
• Establish a collaborative structure and culture that runs and maintains that program
• Select and train effective mentors
• Explore occupation-specific approaches, challenges, and systems
• Track metrics that measure progress and success

Throughout this full-day intensive, attendees engaged with experienced instructors, facilitators, and peers to:

• Review the foundational elements of transit-based mentorship programs
• Experience TWC’s mentor training program, including: a review of mentor roles; an introduction to varied learning styles; and an examination of communications and problem-solving skills

Moderators: 

• Maurice Beard: Senior Workforce Development Advisor – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center
• Karitsa Holdzkom: Senior Policy Analyst – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center

Speakers:

• Stu Bass: Principal – Progress Worx; Founding Director – Keystone Development Partnership
• Nick Biggar: District Director – Greater Cleveland RTA
• Valerie Campo: Mentor Program Coordinator – Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit
• Lee Estis: Mentor Program Coordinator – Metropolitan Council-Metro Transit (MN)
• Jamaine “G” Gibson: Director of Apprenticeships and Workforce Development – Amalgamated Transit Union
• Steve Jovel: Operations Manager, Workforce Development – Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
• Vanessa L’Esperance: Apprenticeship Program Coordinator – Metro Transit/ATU Local 1005 (MN)
• Dionna McCane: ATU Mentorship and Apprenticeship Coordinator – IndyGo
• Darnell Morris: Vice President – ATU Local 268, Greater Cleveland RTA
• Harpreet Singh: JWI Co-Director – Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

MC24 Making Mentoring Matter slides

Session Description: Check out this immersive half-day session designed to provide information, tools, and strategies that build a foundation for career pathways for community members into good jobs and great transit careers. Participants engaged in dialogue with transit professionals on the opportunities in the industry, gain insight into communicating about these opportunities, and explore approaches to establishing working partnerships with transit agencies and their labor and workforce partners.

Attendees dove into strategies and principles for impactful engagement, hearing firsthand accounts of successful collaborative initiatives and messaging strategies that emphasize the impact and value of working in an industry providing a vital public good. Participants gained invaluable insights into building sustainable workforce solutions that mutually benefit the industry and the community.

Key topics included:

• Exploring transit career opportunities
• Messaging and framing
• Building collaborative partnerships
• Real-world success stories

Moderator:

• David Stephen: Senior Communications Specialist – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center

Speakers:

• Rich Diaz: Workforce Development Coordinator – Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1575
• Theus Jones: Recording Secretary – Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 (DC)
• Antonio Pollard: Organizer – Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 (DC)
• Vanessa Sparks: Committee Member – Community Board 12-Queens Transportation Committee
• Carlene Thorbs: Chairperson – Community Board 12-Queens Transportation Committee

MC24 Community Partnerships slides

Session Description: This intensive full-day session, an abbreviated version of TWC’s popular 5-day Train-the-Trainer Level 1 course, provided both new and experienced trainers with new tools to increase engagement, application, and retention. Participants added to their knowledge, skills, and confidence to fully engage learners and effectively facilitate a variety of instructor-led training programs. Topics included adult learning theory, teaching techniques, and instructional elements that really work! Participants also had the opportunity to observe and critique a teaching demonstration — learning what does and what does not contribute to impactful learning.

Check out experienced instructors and your trainer-peers from across the industry to explore the following topics:

• How do adults learn, and what does adult learning theory tell us that we can use in our training?
• What are the key instructional elements of successful classroom and hands-on training?
• What are lesson plans, and how are they developed?
• Which teaching techniques help strengthen classes and instructional presentations?

Speakers:

• Frank Burnett: Training Specialist – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center
• Julie Deibel-Pundt: Program Director, Instructional Design – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center
• Marina Budeyeva: Instructional Designer – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center
• Jessica Supervielle: Instructional Designer – International Transportation Learning Center / Transit Workforce Center

MC24 TtT Bootcamp slides