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Approaches to Childcare Support in the Transit Industry
Transit Workforce Center
September 2023
At New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), the first sign of a problem was attendance. Los Angeles Metro experienced a similar phenomenon of worker absences, which grew worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. At Prairie Hills Transit in South Dakota, the agency (like many employers in the community) struggled just to get workers in the first place. In community after community, public transit is suffering from low employee availability, and a key driver of the workforce shortage is clear—a lack of affordable childcare.
The good news for the public transit industry is that a variety of models already exist that support the childcare needs of frontline workers. This case study describes three such models: a voucher system, an on-site center managed directly by the agency, and a discounted center managed by a contractor with supplemental referral services. Across the spectrum of agency sizes—from a small rural agency to an agency serving one of the world’s largest cities—transit providers have opportunities to support their workers, both as employees and as parents.
Please see the summary table at the end of the case study for an overview of each of these programs.
Background: The Urgency of Childcare Needs
The United States used to have one of the highest rates of working women among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, but in recent years, the U.S. rate has declined. As parents struggle to find stable access to childcare, they are forced to limit their workforce participation, leave employment altogether, or pay an often-unsustainable portion of their income towards a childcare program. Using data from the National Survey of Children’s Health, the Center for American Progress (CAP) estimated that in 2016 nearly two million Americans made career sacrifices due to issues with childcare.
As the United States, and in particular the transit industry, faces a difficult and ongoing labor shortage, it is important for mothers to be able to participate in the workforce if they choose. Even though women are less present in the labor force, families are becoming increasingly dependent on the maternal income. Only about 30 percent of families with children rely solely on a father’s income; women are primary or equal earners in about two-thirds of families. Women of color with children are even more likely than white women to be in the labor force, be primary breadwinners, and be in low-earning jobs (NWLC).
Despite this necessity, childcare remains a determining obstacle. An analysis of the 2016 Early Childhood Program Participation Survey (ECPP) indicated that half of American families struggle to find adequate childcare, with cost most commonly reported as a barrier. Another CAP analysis found that over half of Americans live in childcare deserts (areas with few or no options for childcare). The maternal workforce participation rate is an average of three percent lower in these deserts than in areas with adequate childcare. Hispanic/Latino families are more likely to reside in childcare deserts and more likely to report location as an obstacle to obtaining childcare. The prevalence of location as an obstacle can be further explored with these interactive childcare desert maps.
Even small steps to alleviate childcare burdens can help parents join the workforce. A study of Washington, DC’s universal, full-day preschool program found that since the program’s inception, the rate of mothers participating in the city’s workforce increased by 12 percent. Subsidies to support parents in finding childcare assistance can have positive impacts on their workforce participation as well. A study of childcare and parent labor force participation found that just a 10 percent decrease in childcare costs could lead to a 0.5-2.5 percent increase in maternal employment. A paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research indicated that if childcare costs were capped at seven percent of income, the rate of low-income mothers in full-time jobs would increase by 18 percent and the overall maternal employment would increase by 10 percent, which would add 12 million mothers to the workforce. For individual families, gender parity, and the overall economy, these increases are important, and they are essential to mitigating the workforce shortage in the transit industry.
Childcare Examples in Public Transportation
Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100 – New York City Transit Child Care Fund (CCF)
In New York City, TWU Local 100 and NYC Transit came together to create the Child Care Fund (CCF), a financial assistance program designed to support the families of Local 100 members who need help paying for childcare expenses. In 2002, Local 100 proposed a new benefit for its members in the collective bargaining agreement: funds through CCF to support parents of young children in obtaining childcare. MTA management, concerned about the effects of worker absences on its operations, agreed to the new benefit. “Workers were doing the calculus of whether it’s worth it to spend X amount on childcare versus just staying home and not working and caring for the child instead. Childcare is very expensive,” said Charles Jenkins, Director of TUF. This no-win choice weighed particularly heavy on women. Jenkins recounted how historically, transit has been a predominantly male industry with few accommodations for women, even proper bathrooms, until recently. Long-standing worker shortages in public transit have led the industry to begin thinking differently.
CCF provides financial support to parents for either a year-round childcare program or for summer camps; the employee can choose. The employee also has the discretion to choose who cares for their child—CCF covers about forty percent of the cost of childcare in a licensed facility (up to $320 weekly), and about twenty percent (up to $160 weekly) if the provider is not licensed—for example, if the caregiver is a family member. If the employee chooses the summer camp option, fifty percent is covered (up to $1,000). The benefit is offered to all employees in good standing who have completed one year of employment, until the employee’s child reaches age 12.
The program is not without challenges. It is first-come-first-served, with limited funds, although most people who seek out the benefit do receive it. Some members report they didn’t know about the fund, and even with a subsidy, childcare remains expensive. Still, CCF’s support helps. “Our members are very thankful for the benefit,” Jenkins said, and the agency and union have found that attendance is high when adequate childcare is in place.
Prairie Hills Transit (Spearfish, South Dakota)
Over a thousand miles away and in a much more rural area, the childcare landscape looks different. Prairie Hills, SD, has struggled for years with a lack of childcare providers in the community. Around 2010, Prairie Hills Transit (PHT) Executive Director Barb Cline noticed that federal funds were available for the construction of new buildings. Thinking creatively, she pursued grants and loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the purpose of constructing a childcare facility within the PHT campus. “We knew this was a community problem, bigger than our own staff,” Cline reported. With only about 50 employees, PHT’s staff didn’t have enough children for a center limited to employees, so the agency opened its doors to the wider community.
Today, this licensed, on-site childcare center can accommodate up to 41 children. To handle demand, PHT is expanding to a new rented location which can enroll another 25 or so children. Because childcare has a low profit margin, no external company would take on the contract, so PHT hired its own manager for the program. Now that the building has been constructed, the program sustains itself financially. Employees of PHT receive a thirty percent discount, while other parents in the community pay full price (though some use government benefits to pay and segmented payment plans are available). Children don’t age out formally, but most enrollees are age five or younger. PHT has found that male and female employees alike take advantage of the program. Recognizing that employees won’t be able to transport their children from school to after-school childcare in the middle of a shift, PHT obtained a separate bus with car seats to provide those trips themselves.
PHT reported several challenges it encountered as the program unfolded. Licensing requirements for childcare centers have gotten stricter and PHT has had to invest time to adapt. Another challenge for the agency has been the “human versus the financial”: if a parent only wants part-time childcare, the center wants to accommodate the family’s needs, but the accommodation results in the loss of a full-time spot and thus a loss of funds. Availability of childcare remains a challenge because demand is so high, even though PHT employees receive some degree of priority; “our waiting list is 12 pages long,” Cline said. Even with a subsidy, affordability is still a question for some families. However, employee turnover is low at PHT and childcare may be part of the reason.
PHT has realized that because of the geographic dispersion of employees and the low turnover of children in the center, some employees are not able to take advantage of the center’s offerings. As the program looks to the future, PHT is looking to build a second shared-use facility to expand capacity.
LA Metro (Los Angeles, CA)
Like so many other transit agencies, Los Angeles Metro found its workforce depleted as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed. The agency recognized that a lack of childcare delayed re-entry into the workforce.
LA Metro offers three options for their employees to find support The first is, through a memorandum of understanding, a partnership with Pathways LA to provide referral services to LA Metro employees seeking childcare. Pathways LA gives parents digestible information about childcare options and assistance navigating the possibilities available. LA Metro also utilizes its employee assistance program through ComPsych Corporation Guidance Resources, which connects employees to a Work-Life Specialist. This specialist provides personalized resources custom to the needs of the individual employees seeking childcare in their area. The third support is more recently established: LA Metro has leased a space it owns, beginning June 2023, to Pathways LA for a childcare center within walking distance from Metro’s central maintenance facility and headquarters. This arrangement was established through a competitive bid process. The center is not exclusive to LA Metro employees, but employees receive a 15% discount and get priority enrollment. The center serves children up to age 5 and offers everything from an infant center to an educational curriculum for older children to special needs programming. LA Metro has hired a coordinator to oversee the relationship between Pathways LA and Metro, which has been indispensable to facilitating a smooth partnership, the agency reported.
As childcare needs have evolved, LA Metro has persevered in seeking the best options for its employees within available resources. Before the Pathways LA partnership, LA Metro had partnered with a different third-party provider; with the new partnership, largely because of inflation, prices have risen and employees that transferred from one provider to the other were impacted by the change. Prices were already steep and employees felt the increase keenly. Another challenge has been the limitations of a single facility location: the fact that the center is close to LA Metro’s headquarters and central maintenance garage reduces travel and logistics for some parents, but not all Metro employees report to those locations. For LA Metro, a multi-pronged approach has been most successful.
Conclusion
Finding adequate childcare services is an imperative step in entering or re-entering the workforce, but it’s not easy for every parent. In the face of a widespread workforce shortage, if transit agencies are able to help parents with this step, it can help rebuild and maintain their workforce. These examples provide evidence that agencies of varied sizes across the county can find a childcare supportive service program that works for them. LA Metro found that neither subsidies nor self-administration of a childcare center was realistic for them, but partnerships with an established and trusted provider could further their employees’ access to childcare resources. On the other hand, Prairie Hills Transit, facing a childcare desert in their community, established their own center. Meanwhile, MTA and TWU Local found that cost, not availability, was the primary limiting factor for their employees, and they were able to address that challenge for many families. Other transit agencies can take similar steps, utilize their own unique resources, and learn from the challenges faced in these examples to facilitate access to childcare services for their employees, which in turn will contribute to a stronger and more reliable workforce.
Summary of MTA/TWU Local 100, Prairie Hills Transit, and LA Metro Childcare Programs
For more information on these programs, contact:
- Barb Cline, Prairie Hills Transit: bkcline@prairiehillstransit.com
- Jodi Stewart, LA Metro: stewartj@metro.net
- Shayna Gleason, TWC: sgleason@transportcenter.org
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Department of Labor
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Contributor(s): National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Transportation Research Board; Transit Cooperative Research Program; Robert Puentes; Philip Plotch; Brianne Eby; Paul Lewis; Karitsa Holdzkom; Xinge Wang; Douglas Nevins; Kenyon Corbett; Melissa Huber
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August 2023
TOPICS: Hiring and Recruitment , Policy and Planning , Retention , Safety and Health
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TOPICS: Hiring and Recruitment , Policy and Planning , Retention
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June 2023
TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Mentorship , Policy and Planning , Retention , Training
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TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Safety and Health
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TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Policy and Planning , Training , Workforce Shortage , Zero Emission Buses
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TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Hiring and Recruitment , Mentorship , Policy and Planning , Retention , Workforce Shortage
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American Public Transportation Association
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TOPICS: Hiring and Recruitment , Policy and Planning , Retention , Workforce Shortage
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TOPICS: Funding Opportunities , Policy and Planning
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TOPICS: Policy and Planning
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Speakers
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American Public Transportation Association
October 2022
TOPICS: Hiring and Recruitment , Policy and Planning , Retention , Workforce Shortage
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National Cooperative Highway Research Program
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Transit Cooperative Research Program
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TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Safety and Health
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Jobs for the Future Center for Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning
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Mineta Transportation Institute
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TransitCenter
April 2022
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Intelligent Partnerships
April 2022
Transit Workforce Center
The Transit Workforce Center (TWC) is the Federal Transit Administration’s first ever national technical assistance center for transit workforce development. Its mission is to help urban, suburban, tribal, and rural public transportation entities recruit, hire, train, and retain the diverse workforce needed now and in the future.
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Transit Workforce Center
March 2022
TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Mentorship , Policy and Planning , Training
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Transit Workforce Center
March 2022
TOPICS: Hiring and Recruitment , Policy and Planning , Procurement , Training , Zero Emission Buses
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Federal Transit Administration
February 2022
TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Safety and Health
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Federal Transit Administration
January 2022
TOPICS: Policy and Planning
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Mineta Transportation Institute
November 2021
Workforce and Talent Management Study
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September 2021
TOPICS: Hiring and Recruitment , Policy and Planning
The Education/Career Readiness Continuum graphic on page 11 of the report might be useful to agencies considering comprehensive workforce development plans.
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Federal Transit Administration; National Transit Institute
June 2021
TOPICS: Hiring and Recruitment , Policy and Planning , Retention
High School Students on Track for Transportation Careers
Mineta Transportation Institute
June 2021
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Montgomery County Department of Transportation
June 2021
TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Zero Emission Buses
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Federal Transit Administration
May 2021
TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Safety and Health
FTA Annual Report on Technical Assistance and Workforce Development for FY 2020
This statutorily required annual report provides information on FTA’s Technical Assistance and Workforce Development Program (49 U.S.C. § 5314). It provides information on technical assistance, workforce development, standards, human resources, and training projects active in FY 2020. The report also includes information on FTA’s process for making upcoming allocations for FY 2021.
Federal Transit Administration
May 2021
A Zero-Emission Transition for the U.S. Transit Fleet
This report offers a roadmap for federal lawmakers in support of making a complete transition to zero-emission vehicles in transit, including an accounting of estimated agency costs, key assumptions underpinning those figures, acknowledgement of limitations, and workforce development considerations.
Center for Transportation and the Environment
May 2021
TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Procurement , Training , Zero Emission Buses
Inclusive Apprenticeship: A Summary of What We Know about Apprentices with Disabilities
This report summarizes current information on experiences of people with disabilities in apprenticeship, drawing on the research literature, interviews with experts on inclusive apprenticeship, and administrative and survey data. This report’s goal is to synthesize information about inclusive apprenticeship and provide insights about best practices to deepen both researchers’ and practitioners’ understanding.
Urban Institute
May 2021
Bus Electrification: The Role Agencies Can Play in Workforce Equity
In this webinar, speakers discuss the issues of procurement, manufacturing, job creation, and job equity associated with fleet electrification.
Eno Center for Transportation
April 2021
TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Procurement , Retention , Zero Emission Buses
Speakers:
- Christy Veeder, PhD, National Program Director, Jobs to Move America
- Brianne Eby, Senior Policy Analyst, Eno Center for Transportation
Effective Lesson Plans in Transportation
This research focuses on developing a suite of standards-aligned, rigorous lesson plans for secondary school teachers centered on transportation issues, such as the societal impact of autonomous vehicles, transportation safety, and traffic flow. It includes a report and lesson plans.
Mineta Transportation Institute
February 2021
TOPICS: Career Pathways , Policy and Planning
Resource Guide for Improving Diversity and Inclusion Programs for the Public Transportation Industry
This TCRP Research Report 228 examines industry diversity programs, including how inclusion has been incorporated, and what policies, plans, and practices have been successfully implemented.
Transit Cooperative Research Program
January 2021
A Pandemic Playbook for Transportation Agencies
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program and Transit Cooperative Research Program have jointly issued NCHRP Research Report 963/TCRP Research Report 225: A Pandemic Playbook for Transportation Agencies, which was created to improve transportation agency responses to a pandemic.
The Playbook concentrates on what needs to be done, when and by whom. It briefly addresses planning for a pandemic, a topic addressed in greater depth in NCHRP Report 769: A Guide for Public Transportation Pandemic Planning and Response. It summarizes effective practices currently used by transportation agencies based on interviews with state departments of transportation and transit agency leaders and operational personnel, supplemented with national and international research results.
National Cooperative Highway Research Program and Transit Cooperative Research Program
January 2021
TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Safety and Health , Training
Contributor(s): National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Transportation Research Board; National Cooperative Highway Research Program; Transit Cooperative Research Program; WSP USA Solutions – Deborah Matherly; Patricia Bye; Janet Benini
Guidebook for Deploying Zero-Emission Transit Buses
The TCRP Research Report 219: Guidebook for Deploying Zero-Emission Transit Buses is designed to provide transit agencies with information on current best practices for ZEB deployments and lessons learned from previous deployments, industry experts, and available industry resources.
Transportation Cooperative Research Program
January 2021
TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Procurement , Zero Emission Buses
Contributor(s): National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Transportation Research Board; Transit Cooperative Research Program; Meredith Linscott; Amy Posner
How Women Fare in the Transit Industry
This webinar provides an overview of the barriers and solutions to including more women in the transit industry. Panelists discuss strategies to support women in transit and share examples of transit agencies that have effectively implemented programs to attract, retain, and advance women in the industry.
Transportation Research Board
September 2020
The webinar draws on research from TCRP Synthesis 147: Attracting, Retaining, and Advancing Women in Transit.
MTS Zero-Emission Bus Fleet Transition Study
This study, performed by the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) for the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), creates a plan for a 100% zero-emission fleet by 2040 to be in compliance with the Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) regulation enacted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The results of the study will be used to inform MTS Board members and educate MTS staff of estimated costs, benefits, constraints, and risks to guide future planning and decision making.
Center for Transportation and the Environment; AECOM; Fiedler Group
September 2020
TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Zero Emission Buses
FTA Annual Report on Technical Assistance and Workforce Development for FY 2019
This statutorily required annual report provides information on FTA’s Technical Assistance and Workforce Development Program (49 U.S.C. § 5314). This annual report provides information on any technical assistance, workforce development, standards, human resources, and training projects active in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019.
Federal Transit Administration
July 2020
Bus Maintenance and Bus Testing Program Peer-to-Peer Exchange
This report presents a summary of the bus maintenance worker training peer exchange, hosted by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Significant shifts in the types of transit buses being procured (e.g., from traditional buses to alternative fuel/low- and no-emission buses) require new and different types of frontline worker training. Through the peer exchange, stakeholders, including industry representatives, shared knowledge about bus maintenance worker training and discussed best practices for developing the next generation of highly-skilled bus technicians.
Federal Transit Administration
May 2020
TOPICS: Hiring and Recruitment , Policy and Planning , Procurement , Training , Zero Emission Buses
Advancing Frontline Workforce Development Meeting: Synthesis
This report synthesizes findings from a two-day gathering of more than two dozen transit industry labor and management representatives who engaged in in-depth discussions on frontline workforce training needs across the U.S. The purpose of the meeting was to identify immediate, short-term, and long-term training needs for the frontline public transportation workforce in the U.S. and ways to connect apprenticeship and formal training programs to support these needs.
National Transit Institute; Federal Transit Administration; International Transportation Learning Center
February 2020
TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Hiring and Recruitment , Policy and Planning , Training
Innovative Transit Workforce Development Projects of 2015: Summative Evaluation
This report provides the results of an evaluation of Innovative Transit Workforce Development Program projects awarded in Fiscal Year 2015. Based on a competitive application process, FTA awarded 16 workforce development projects to transit authorities, higher education institutions, Native American tribes, and nonprofit organizations individually or as a consortium.
Federal Transit Administration
February 2020
Building a Business Case for Increasing Diversity in the Transportation Workforce
This TR News article describes the importance of cultivating diversity in the transportation industry. It describes the current and future state of diversity in the country and workforce at large, and reviews existing research on the workplace benefits of diversity. It also provides several strategies for fostering diversity in the transportation industry and examples of transit stakeholders that have used those strategies.
Transportation Research Board
October 2019
Innovative Transit Workforce Development Program: Key Lessons Learned
This report summarizes the impacts and lessons learned of individual project models, identifies transit workforce needs, and develops recommendations for the continuation or improvement of FTA’s workforce development efforts and investments.
Federal Transit Administration
September 2019
Tool for Measuring the Cost of Turnover
This Cost of Turnover Tool is a simple, “back of the envelope” calculator to help estimate how much it costs to replace staff. The tool can be useful for transit agencies looking to understand the costs of a low retention rate, or those looking to calculate the return-on-investment of mentoring or apprenticeship programs.
Aspen Institute
March 2019
TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Mentorship , Policy and Planning , Program Evaluation and ROI , Retention
FTA Annual Report on Technical Assistance and Workforce Development for FY 2018
This annual report to Congress provides information on Fiscal Year 2018 technical assistance, standards, human resources and training projects to improve public transportation as authorized by federal public transportation law (49 U.S.C. § 5314). The report also includes information on FTA’s process for making allocations for FY 2019.
Federal Transit Administration
February 2019
Innovative Transit Workforce Development Projects of 2012: Summative Evaluation
This report provides the results of the Innovative Transit Workforce Development Program Evaluation of projects awarded in Fiscal Year 2012. FTA awarded a total of $7,048,898 for 16 workforce development projects. Recipients included transit authorities, higher education institutions, Native American tribes, and nonprofit organizations.
Federal Transit Administration
February 2019
Transportation Workforce Planning and Development Strategies
This report is a synthesis of the current state of practice associated with the implementation of transportation workforce planning and development strategies at state departments of transportation (DOTs) and associated local and tribal technical assistance programs (LTAPs/TTAPs). The synthesis includes a literature review and survey results of both state DOTs and LTAPs, as well as case studies of five state DOTs, presenting an in-depth analysis of processes and considerations, challenges, lessons learned, and keys to success.
National Cooperative Highway Research Program
January 2019
TOPICS: Policy and Planning
Contributor(s): National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Transportation Research Board; National Cooperative Highway Research Program; Robert Puentes; Alice Grossman; Brianne Eby; Alex Bond
Not Just an Ache: Examining the Rate of Musculoskeletal Pain in City Bus Drivers
This paper examines the rates of musculoskeletal discomfort in a sample of 957 city bus drivers at King County Metro. The researchers conducted a survey demonstrate that city bus drivers experience very high rates of musculoskeletal pain in at least one area of the body. The paper includes policy recommendations, such as the provision of active-suspension seats in the agency’s fleet of buses and better placement of key controls in the drivers’ workstation, as well as considerations for further investigation.
Mineta Transportation Institute
November 2018
TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Safety and Health
Knowledge Management Resource to Support Strategic Workforce Development for Transit Agencies
TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Research Report 194: Knowledge Management Resource to Support Strategic Workforce Development for Transit Agencies explores the importance of knowledge management (KM), which is an organization’s process for collecting, storing, and sharing organizational information and knowledge, and provides guidance on implementing KM strategies in transit agencies. In addition, the guidance includes action plans for developing particular aspects of KM, analysis of KM strategies at several transit agencies, and a catalog of KM technology tools and resources.
Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP)
January 2018
TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Program Evaluation and ROI , Retention
Maintenance Technician Staffing Levels for Modern Public Transit Fleets
This report identifies existing tools and practices used to determine optimum maintenance technician staffing levels and provides an analysis of variables that influence maintenance technician staffing needs. A Microsoft Excel maintenance staffing calculator and user guide is available.
Transit Cooperative Research Program
August 2016
Contributor(s): National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Transportation Research Board; Transit Cooperative Research Program; Ken Mall; June Sekera; the Transportation Learning Center and Transit Resource Center
Innovative Transit Workforce Development Projects of 2011
This report provides the results of the Innovative Transit Workforce Program Evaluation of projects awarded in fiscal year 2011. The evaluation was conducted via review of updates and final report submitted by grantees and telephone interviews with grantees.
Federal Transit Administration
April 2016
Selected Public Workforce Development Programs in the United States: Lessons Learned for Older Workers
This report provides a selective review of public workforce development programs in the United States over the past 80 years, placing special emphasis on the importance these programs have to older Americans. It discusses how the public workforce system developed, how it operates today, significant programs and target groups, common employment services and job training strategies, and what is known about program effectiveness.
American Association of Retired Persons
March 2015
National Apprenticeship Guidelines for Transit Elevator-Escalator Maintenance Technician
The purpose of these National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards (National Guideline Standards) is to provide policy and guidance to local Sponsors in developing these Standards for Apprenticeship for local approval and registration. These National Guideline Standards developed by the Sponsor are certified by the U. S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship as substantially conforming to the requirements of Title 29, CFR parts 29 and 30. State Apprenticeship Agencies recognized by the Office of Apprenticeship to register local programs, and/or local laws and regulations, may impose additional requirements that must be addressed in the local apprenticeship standards.
International Transportation Learning Center & National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC)
January 2014
TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Policy and Planning , Training
Promoting Employment in Transit Construction Projects by Members of Minority and Low Income Communities
This report summarizes research investigating the participation of members of low-income and minority populations in employment generated by transit projects and identifies practices to increase their participation. It features four in-depth case studies of light rail projects.
Federal Transit Administration
July 2013
Rail Transit Track Inspection Practices
TRBs Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Synthesis 107: Rail Transit Track Inspection Practices offers information across a range of older and newer U.S. rail transit agencies on track inspection practices and policies.
Issues addressed in the report include agency staffing, agency organization and characteristics, track inspection program criteria, training and certification, procurement, and track safety practices.
Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP)
January 2013
TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Procurement , Safety and Health , Training
Building a Sustainable Workforce in the Public Transportation Industry—A Systems Approach
TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 162: Building a Sustainable Workforce in the Public Transportation Industry—A Systems Approach provides a guidebook that addresses contemporary issues in workforce development, retention, and attraction, and public transportation image management.
The guidebook provides practical tools to transit agencies on a variety of workforce issues including workforce strategies that enhance organizational processes, performance metrics to evaluate the impact of workforce strategies, image management techniques that improve perceptions of the public transportation industry, and benchmarking processes that allow for continuous organizational improvement.
The guidebook is separated into modules that may be used independently or together in the form of the fully integrated guidebook.
Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP)
January 2013
TOPICS: Hiring and Recruitment , Policy and Planning , Retention , Training
Professional Certification and Credentialing Program for the Transit Industry
TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Research Results Digest 100: Professional Certification and Credentialing Program for the Transit Industry explores the findings of a literature review and a gap analysis of the efficacy of four transit-specific professional development programs. The report also examines potential strategies that might be used to deploy and maintain a transit industry certification and credentialing program.
Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP)
April 2011
TOPICS: Career Pathways , Policy and Planning , Retention , Training
Rail Vehicles Maintenance Training Standards
In response to the transit industry’s need for rail vehicles maintenance training, the Transportation Learning Center partnered with APTA, transit agencies and unions representing transit workers to develop these joint labor-management training guidelines and recommended training practices.
American Public Transportation Association (APTA) & International Transportation Learning Center
June 2010
TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Training
Jointly Sponsored Training Systems In American Industries
This paper examines recent developments in credentialing in jointly sponsored training and qualifications systems across the United States. This paper builds on previous work on building trades joint apprenticeship and training programs, describes their structure and activities, and documents their superior performance.
Written in collaboration with Robert W. Glover, the University of Texas at Austin.
International Transportation Learning Center
February 2009
Working Together: A Systems Approach for Transit Training
Transit faces a critical skills challenge driven by changing technologies, shifting workforce demographics and record-breaking growth in ridership. Working Together: A Systems Approach for Transit Training outlines how constructive training partnerships provide the most effective way for the transit industry to address its skill challenges.
International Transportation Learning Center
January 2009
Current Practices of Rail Vehicle Technician Training and Measures of Competency
This 2009 ILTC brief summarizes findings from a survey on best practices in rail car maintenance, based on recommendations from the RCRP E-7 Panel.
International Transportation Learning Center
January 2009
TOPICS: Policy and Planning , Training
Innovative Practices in Transit Workforce Development
TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Research Results Digest 88: Innovative Practices in Transit Workforce Development examines innovative practices in workforce development in several cities in Canada, France, and Belgium.
Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP)
June 2008
TOPICS: Hiring and Recruitment , Policy and Planning , Training
Developing a Joint System of Training and Apprenticeship in American Transit
This paper reviews training innovations and lessons that may be applicable to the transit industry from practices used in other industries. It draws on a rich body of experience of joint apprenticeship and training programs, as well as employer-sponsored training.
Prepared with Robert W. Glover, the University of Texas at Austin.
International Transportation Learning Center
September 2007
TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Policy and Planning , Training
Public Transportation Operating Agencies as Employers of Choice
TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 103 documents principles, techniques, and strategies that are used in workforce recruitment, development, and retention. The report includes a companion document, “Communications Strategy and Implementation Plan, Positioning the Public Transportation Operating Agency as an Employer of Choice” that describes strategies and solutions that offer the greatest potential for positioning public transportation operating agencies as an employer of choice.
Contributors: Watson Wyatt Worldwide and Focus Group Corporation
Transit Cooperative Research Program
January 2004
The Workforce Challenge
This report compiles research about the issues facing the transportation workforce, including changing skills, an aging workforce, and low prioritization of training. The report recommends working to expand existing federal and academic resources, create an institutional focus for the issue, and establish human resources management as a strategic function within the transportation community.
Transportation Research Board
January 2003
TOPICS: Hiring and Recruitment , Policy and Planning , Procurement , Retention , Training
Contributor(s): National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Transportation Research Board; Committee on Future Surface Transportation Agency Human Resource Needs: Strategies for Recruiting, Training, and Retaining Personnel
Rail Signals Training Content and Standards
An overview of ITLC’s signals training course (2 modules—level 100 and 200).