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Lesson Planning Webinar: Basics to Best Practices
Have you ever been tasked with developing or delivering a class and didn’t know where to start? Do you have a class that isn’t engaging learners and you don’t know why? On September 26, 2023, TWC hosted an informative webinar on Lesson Planning basics and best practices with award winning author and advisor on all things training, Dr. Chuck Hodell. We took a high-level look at Lesson Planning for those new to training, as well as discussed how to overcome inherent challenges and best practices for transit trainers.
Transit Workforce Center
September 2023
TOPICS: Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
Battery Electric Bus Familiarization Course
Transit Workforce Center
September 2023
This course provides participants with an overview and familiarization to battery electric bus (BEB) basics. This will include an overview of what a BEB is, and what makes it both similar and different from its standard transit counterparts. The course will include sections on BEB components and systems, details on its internal functions (CAN, High Voltage systems, battery packs, etc.), the management systems, and a quick glance at preventive maintenance tasks. The course will follow up with a module on some electrical fundamentals, safety features, considerations, risk and hazard assessment, PPE, and comes with demonstrations of actual technicians performing de-energization (LOTO) of a Proterra and New Flyer model bus, and concludes with the third module introducing details involved with BEB charging, including the details of current BEB charging technologies, emerging charging technologies and opportunities, electric vehicle charging standards, and common considerations in charging maintenance and charger safety precautions.
Disclaimer : This course is intended only as informal guidance on the matters addressed, and should not be relied upon as the sole method or manner for performing the tasks or work outlined in the materials.
Bus Maintenance Apprenticeship On-the-Job Learning Task Book
International Transportation Learning Center
July 2023
TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Mentorship , Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
The Bus Maintenance Apprenticeship On-the-Job Learning (OJL) Task Book allows mentors and apprentices to track competency. The Task Book contains individual job tasks in 10 job functions (e.g., Electrical & Electronic, Steering & Suspension, etc.). Once the mentor and apprentice both agree that the apprentice is competent in a specific task (e.g., can test, adjust or replace a voltage regulator), each signs-off on that task.
Like the Apprenticeship Framework, the Task Book is aligned with the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) task list and APTA training standards. Under the Contract/Agreement established by each agency’s Joint Apprenticeship Committee (JAC), however, each agency is free to add, delete or modify tasks to suit their unique operating conditions and bus equipment. The Task Book serves as a useful checklist to make certain that mentors have provided adequate OJL for each job task, and apprentices can demonstrate they are capable of performing those tasks safely and effectively on their own. The use and preservation of the Job Book are the responsibility of both parties.
ATTAIN Bus Operator Apprenticeship Meeting
This recorded meeting of the ATTAIN Bus Operator Committee serves as a resource for transit industry stakeholders and includes presentations on apprenticeship and case studies of successful programs across the country.
Transit Workforce Center
May 2023
TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Career Pathways , Mentorship , Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
The American Transit Training and Apprenticeship Innovators Network (ATTAIN), run by the Transit Workforce Center (TWC), is a peer network created for transit agencies and labor unions to explore new apprenticeship programs or enhance existing programs for their frontline workforce.
Workforce Mini-Guides
These six workforce development mini-guides are designed to help develop and implement successful strategies to address the critical workforce shortages seen across the public transportation industry. They cover these topics: advancing awareness of transit careers; creating internships and apprenticeships; recruiting and hiring transit workers; serving the underserved in the workforce; onboarding, training, and retaining workers; and building a transit curriculum.
American Public Transportation Association
April 2023
An October 2022 survey conducted by APTA revealed that 96 percent of transit agencies of all sizes are experiencing workforce challenges, and 84 percent said these shortages are impacting their ability to provide service. APTA developed these mini-guides building on their 2021 Transit Workforce Readiness Guide and combining industry insights and stories, case studies, lessons learned, and best practices.
ATTAIN Bus Maintenance Apprenticeship Meeting
The American Transit Training and Apprenticeship Innovators Network (ATTAIN), run by the Transit Workforce Center (TWC), is a peer network created for transit agencies and labor unions to explore new apprenticeship programs or enhance existing programs for their frontline workforce. This recorded meeting of the ATTAIN Bus Maintenance Committee serves as a resource for transit industry stakeholders and includes presentations on apprenticeship and case studies of successful programs across the country.
Transit Workforce Center
March 2023
TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Career Pathways , Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
Apprenticeship Training Courses
This series of free online training courses will help transit providers and others plan for, create, and sustain registered apprenticeship programs. Several courses have already been released and others are forthcoming.
Jobs for the Future
March 2023
TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Career Pathways , Mentorship , Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
Assault Awareness and Prevention for Transit Operators (Train the Trainer)
This virtual course will provide transit agency instructional staff with the support necessary to deliver the Assault Awareness and Prevention course within their agencies. Each registered participant will receive an electronic instructor package that will include an instructor guide, course slides, instructor notes, and the participant workbook. Participants will be able to deliver the training to provide transit bus operators with knowledge and skills to reduce the likelihood of assault incidents.
National Transit Institute
January 2023
You can register for the course with the Rutgers University Noncredit Course Catalog & Registration System. The direct delivery course for operators can be found here.
Violence in the Transit Workplace – Prevention, Response and Recovery (Train the Trainer)
The goal of this course is to provide participants with knowledge and skills to deliver training to transit agency personnel on how to prevent, respond to, and recover from workplace violence. Prevention methods covered include implementing system and personal security measures, recognizing and reporting the warning signs of potentially violent behavior and using effective interpersonal skills for dealing with different, difficult and dangerous people.
National Transit Institute
You can register for the course with the Rutgers University Noncredit Course Catalog & Registration System.
Making Connections 2022 – Conference Overview and Videos
The Transit Workforce Center hosted Making Connections 2022: The National Transit Workforce Conference in Washington, D.C. on December 13-14, 2022. This conference brought together participants from urban, suburban, rural, and tribal public transportation and industry stakeholders in plenaries, workshops, networking, and ongoing dialogue. Discussions and sessions featured topics including recruitment and retention, training, mentoring and apprenticeships, new technologies, preparing today’s and tomorrow’s workforce, and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.
Transit Workforce Center
December 2022
TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Career Pathways , Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access , Hiring and Recruitment , Labor-Management Partnerships , Making Connections Conference , Mentorship , Program Evaluation and ROI , Retention , Safety and Health , Trainer and Mentor Development , Training , Zero Emission Buses
Session materials from Making Connections 2022 are hosted on the TWC Resource Center. Please click here to view all related materials. A PDF copy of the conference schedule is linked below.
Opening Video:
Recap Video:
Making Connections 2022 – Engines to Inverters: Preparing Technicians for ZEB Deployment
This session about working with ZEB technologies was presented as part of TWC’s Making Connections 2022 transit workforce conference in December, 2022.
Transit Workforce Center
December 2022
Session Summary: As transit agencies integrate zero-emission technologies into their fleet, many are experiencing difficulties in preparing their frontline workforce to properly maintain and operate the equipment. In this workshop, panelists explored lessons learned, best practices, and available resources to upskill their technician and maintenance workforce and prepare the future frontline workers to safely and effectively work with ZEB technologies. Presentations by industry experts, early-adopters, and successful rollouts offered insight for an audience seeking guidance on first steps and follow-through.
Moderators
- James Hall: Program Manager, Technical Training – International Transportation Learning Center/Transit Workforce Center
- Lisa Jerram: Director of Bus Operations and New Vehicle Technologies – American Public Transportation Association
Speakers
- Joseph Gamez: Assistant Chief Maintenance Officer Maintenance Training – New York City Transit, Department of Buses
- Walter Kirkland: Service Manager – StarMetro Tallahassee
- Obed Mejia: Senior Bus Equipment Instructor – Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Making Connections 2022 – Growing Your Own Through Apprenticeship: A Joint Approach to Building Skills
This session about apprenticeship was presented as part of TWC’s Making Connections 2022 transit workforce conference in December, 2022.
Transit Workforce Center
December 2022
Session Summary: Apprenticeship programs create a foundation for strong, effective workforce development programs. The ability to build and sustain these programs requires strong labor-management partnerships, or, in the case of nonunion agencies, ongoing involvement of, and management engagement with, the frontline workforce. In this session, panelists from a diverse group of transit agencies presented examples of challenges met and lessons learned as they designed and implemented their apprenticeship programs. Attendees heard how apprenticeship can support a variety of frontline transit occupations and the benefits that apprenticeship offers.
Moderator
- Jamaine “G” Gibson: Director of Apprenticeships and Workforce Development – Amalgamated Transit Union
Speakers
- Dexter Bishop: Elevator/Escalator Journeyman – Amalgamated Transit Union/Local 689
- Stephanie Deiger: Chief Human Resources Officer – Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
- Brian Funk: Chief Operating Officer and Deputy General Manager – MetroTransit Minneapolis
- Michael Hanssen: Supervisor of Technical Skills Training – Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
- Alec Johnson: Bus Operator Apprenticeship Coordinator – MetroTransit Minneapolis/Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005
Making Connections 2022 – Hands-On Instructional Training for Transit Trainers
This session about hands-on instructional training was presented as part of TWC’s Making Connections 2022 transit workforce conference in December, 2022.
Transit Workforce Center
December 2022
Session Summary: Hands-on instructional training is a critical piece to any organization’s training program. This workshop addressed hands-on training and its importance, best practices, lessons learned, and how to create effective hands-on training. Workshop participants observed hands-on welding simulation. The goal of this session was for participants to leave with the knowledge and resources to make hands-on training impactful and meaningful!
Moderators
- Kristen Ribaudo: Instructional Systems Design Consultant – International Transportation Learning Center/Transit Workforce Center
- Grant Young: Instructional Systems Design Consultant – International Transportation Learning Center/Transit Workforce Center
Speakers
- Ed Hogan: Chief Welding Instructor – Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
- Grace Kuka: Welding Instructor – Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
Making Connections 2022 – Mentoring: A Great Route to Frontline Workforce Development
This session about mentoring was presented as part of TWC’s Making Connections 2022 transit workforce conference in December, 2022.
Transit Workforce Center
December 2022
Session Summary: This session explored how transit agencies can use structured mentoring programs and mentor training as an effective approach to deal with the challenges of recruiting, supporting, training, and retaining drivers and technicians. Current and former mentors and mentor program coordinators from labor and management discussed the fundamentals of mentoring, the mentoring process and its impact on employees and agencies, along with the varied ways mentoring can and should be an integral part of any training or apprenticeship program.
Moderator
- Stu Bass: Principal – Progress Worx; Founding Director – Keystone Development Partnership
Speakers
- Raul “Kiko” Diaz: Senior Assistant Business Manager – San Diego Metropolitan Transit System/IBEW Local 465
- Rich Hibbs: Co-Director – California Transit Works
- Dionna McCane: Mentorship and Apprenticeship Coordinator – IndyGo
- Ibrahim Ouattara: Workforce Development Manager – IndyGo
- Troy Thornton: Mentor/Bus Operator – Golden Gate Transit/Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1575
Apprenticeship Building America: Mentoring Guide
Mentoring is a key staple of a successful apprenticeship program. This guide provides an overview of the qualities of a good mentor, the activities a mentor undertakes, tips for mentoring youth apprentices, and more.
U.S. Dept of Labor, Apprenticeship Building America Grant Program
December 2022
TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Mentorship , Trainer and Mentor Development
Attracting, Retaining, and Developing the 2030 Transportation Workforce
This report provides a guide with specific strategies and action plans to help agencies identify and address workforce needs through 2030 and beyond.
National Cooperative Highway Research Program
October 2022
State departments of transportation are responsible for providing a safe, efficient, and effective transportation system of infrastructure and services. To meet these responsibilities, transportation agencies need a highly skilled workforce with the expertise required to identify and address current transportation needs while also being prepared to address the challenges of the future.
Contributor(s): National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Transportation Research Board; National Cooperative Highway Research Program; Candace Blair Cronin; Allison Alexander; Grace Arnold; Juan Carlos Batarse; Kelly Dray; Sasha Iliev; Jessica Jenkins; Erik Smallwood; Rachel Smart; Jake Streng; Mara Campbell; Susan Gallagher; Tyler Reeb; Tom O’Brien; Glenn McRae
Train-the-Trainer Level 1: Adult Learning Theory and Teaching Techniques
The International Transportation Learning Center’s week-long, highly engaging train the trainer course teaches subject matter experts the skills to convey their vast knowledge to others in a classroom setting. Topics include: adult learning theory, teaching techniques and presentation skills. Participants will spend most of the week applying what they’re learning through rounds of practice teaching in a classroom, lab and field setting. They’ll also give and receive feedback from peers – one of the most important skills of a trainer!
Subsequent learning opportunities include Train-the-Trainer Level 2: Creating Courseware that Works.
International Transportation Learning Center
TOPICS: Safety and Health , Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
Train-the-Trainer Level 2: Creating Courseware that Works
This week-long, interactive course, Train the Trainer Level 2, builds on Train the Trainer Level 1 by giving experienced trainers the skills to define, design and develop an effective and engaging training course and accompanying courseware and assessments, incorporating established adult learning principles. Participants apply this new knowledge by starting to develop materials for a course of their choosing, which would ultimately be taught at their location.
International Transportation Learning Center
TOPICS: Safety and Health , Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
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
Mentor Training
Transit Workforce Center
TOPICS: Mentorship , Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
This workshop is designed for employees or journeyworkers designated as mentors to support on-the-job learning for apprenticeship programs. The content includes a review of mentor roles, an introduction to learning styles, and a facilitated discussion about communication and problem solving. The second half of the workshop includes role playing exercises for the participants to practice what they learned. The instructor leads the participants through a structured review of that experience and review of the mentoring concepts presented. The program acknowledges the wisdom of the mentors and encourages them to view themselves as ambassadors for the apprenticeship and advocates for the apprentices.
Please follow the link below for additional details and to submit a mentor training request.
Strategic Workforce Planning in Transit: Fundamentals of Mentoring
Transit Workforce Center
June 2022
TOPICS: Apprenticeship , Mentorship , Retention , Trainer and Mentor Development
This is the third in the Transit Workforce Center’s webinar series on strategic workforce development planning in transit. Labor and management leaders from across the country discussed the impact of mentorship programs in their agencies.
Mentor programs provide a powerful and effective tool for workforce development and retention. For maintenance occupations, mentors deliver hands-on training support, putting skills in diverse workplace contexts beyond the classroom. For bus operators, mentors provide guidance that addresses real world situations, building and expanding on basic training and creating ongoing support for each new operator. In every transit agency across all occupations, seasoned employees have stores of knowledge waiting to be shared. Without mentorship, this knowledge can be lost when workers retire or move on. A well-structured mentorship program, designed in partnership with the workers, ensure this expertise is passed on. Strong mentorship programs also provide mentors with leadership opportunities and mentees with the skills and confidence they need to succeed, increasing expertise and morale throughout the organization.
Linked below are a video recording of the webinar, the associated slides, and a webpage where all past TWC webinars are available.
Preparing for and Capturing Video Footage for Instructional Video
International Transportation Learning Center
March 2021
TOPICS: Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
Digital and video instruction are two ways in which transit agencies can enhance their current training methods for their frontline employees. In a previous skill booster event, we showcased video editing software Filmora™. But before you can edit video, you need to capture it. As videography expert and the presenter of this session Kenyon Corbett says, “there is no replacement for good audio and video.”
This video uses real-world examples to demonstrate the Dos and Don’ts of capturing video and audio for instructional videos. It also outlines how best to prepare for this process.
This is one of several skill booster events held by the International Transportation Learning Center (ITLC). Other webinars can be found by filtering by resource type.
Creating and Editing Instructional Videos to Engage Learners
Beyond the traditional classroom environment, one way transit trainers can enhance delivery is through video instruction. This recorded webinar demonstrates Filmora™, an affordable and easy-to-use platform that helps you create video instruction modules.
This is one of several skill booster events held by the International Transportation Learning Center (ITLC).
International Transportation Learning Center
November 2020
TOPICS: Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
Elevator/Escalator Training Consortium
International Transportation Learning Center
The International Transportation Learning Center (ITLC) organizes multiple national training consortia to develop standards-based national training courseware for frontline occupations in public transportation organizations.
The Transit Elevator-Escalator Training Consortium (the Consortium) was the first in an ongoing series of industry-wide collaborative programs to develop integrated systems of training for key frontline occupations in public transportation. Building on national training standards developed by industry Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from 2006 to 2010 and then adopted by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the Consortium developed a full set of standardized national courseware to support training and apprenticeship programs for transit elevator/escalator (El-Es) technicians. The curriculum and courseware development team was composed of subject matter experts (SMEs) from five member agencies and unions from across the country. Membership of the Consortium consists of transit systems that maintain their vertical transportation equipment in-house, rather than relying on outside contractors. Equipment manufacturers contributed access to their technical drawings and manuals to enrich the courseware.
The list of courseware as of Summer 2020 is contained in the attached catalog.
Integrating eLearning in Transit Frontline Learning
In this webinar, guest speaker Ron Thiele, Xpan Interactive, presented on ways in which some transit organizations use eLearning.
This is one of several skill booster events held by the International Transportation Learning Center (ITLC).
International Transportation Learning Center
May 2020
TOPICS: Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
Setting the Standard for Transit Apprenticeships
This article in In Transit summarizes The Amalgamated Transit Union’s (ATU’s) and the International Transportation Learning Center’s (ITLC’s) efforts to promote apprenticeship program development. It discusses apprenticeship programs at several transit agencies and ATU locals, as well as the role of mentorship in a successful apprenticeship program.
Amalgamated Transit Union
September 2018
Equity from the Frontline: Workers’ Insight and Leadership Supports a Network of Apprenticeships in Transit
This case study, part of the Equity in Apprenticeship report series from COWS at UW-Madison, explores the Joint Workforce Investment in the South Bay Valley Transportation Authority, which has developed a web of apprenticeships and advancement opportunities. The series highlights programs that use apprenticeship and mentorship to extend occupational opportunity to historically marginalized groups, especially people of color and women.
COWS at University of Wisconsin
August 2018
Training for New Technologies Workshop
This slide presentation is from the “Training for New Technologies” workshop held during the International Transportation Learning Center’s Making Connections conference held on October 26, 2017.
International Transportation Learning Center
Training Syllabus to Instruct/Prepare for the ASE Transit Bus Electrical/Electronics Test
This Recommended Practice provides guidelines for establishing a standardized bus maintenance training related to the ASE certification program syllabus for the electrical/electronics systems used in transit buses and coaches.
American Public Transportation Association
October 2016
TOPICS: Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
The Transit Elevator-Escalator Training Consortium: A Model for Successful Training Development
A report on the process, products and outcomes related to the first National consortium for development of training for public transportation maintenance employees. This joint labor-management effort set a proven model for multiple other similar consortia. Products include – instruction ready courseware, a nationally recognized apprenticeship program for transit maintenance elevator/escalator maintainers and train-the-trainer program.
International Transportation Learning Center
September 2016
A National Training and Certification Program for Transit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors
This TCRP report provides a proposed national program structure and plan for training and certifying transit bus and rail maintenance instructors. The report also provides best practices used in the public and private sectors to prepare and certify technical instructors, as well as the attributes and instructional delivery methods found most effective for maintenance instructors.
Transit Cooperative Research Program
January 2015
TOPICS: Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
Contributor(s): National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Transportation Research Board; Transit Cooperative Research Program Synthesis Program; Transit Cooperative Research Program; Transportation Learning Center; Educational Data Systems Inc
Establishing a National Transit Industry Rail Vehicle Technician Qualification Program—Building for Success
TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 170: Establishing a National Transit Industry Rail Vehicle Technician Qualification Program—Building for Success describes a system of qualification that has been developed for rail vehicle technicians. This qualification system is available for implementation through the Transportation Learning Center.
The program integrates national training standards, progressive classroom curricula and introductory courseware, on-the-job learning modules, an apprenticeship framework that combines well-designed sequences of learning, mentoring to support learners, and coordination of classroom and on-the-job learning. The qualification system also includes written and hands-on certification assessments to confirm that technicians have the practical knowledge and skills required to perform their jobs at the highest level of expertise.
Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) & International Transportation Learning Center
January 2014
TOPICS: Career Pathways , Mentorship , Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
Transit Maintenance Mentoring Guidebook
The purpose of this report is to serve as a guidebook, offering information that transit agencies can use to establish mentoring as a training method with guidance, suggestions, and examples to implement or expand upon existing mentoring programs. It is based on a generic mentoring guidebook developed by the USDOT, modified and enhanced to reflect transit maintenance applications.
International Transportation Learning Center
November 2012
Quality Training Pays: Training Investment Pays for Itself Six Times Over
You never know how well you are doing until you find metrics with which you can measure outcomes. The Transportation Learning Center has capitalized on this insight through a series of in-depth research reports chronicling work by labor-management partnerships in Philadelphia, PA and Albany, NY. This fact sheet outlines these findings and shows a substantial return on training investment.
International Transportation Learning Center
June 2011
Training Partnerships That Work: An Emerging National Network
Training Partnerships That Work provides vivid summaries of successful labor-management training partnerships at sites across the country. The cases included here represent a diverse set of transit systems and unique training partnerships. Most importantly, they illustrate how labor and management can work together successfully on issues of training, and provide valuable lessons for other industries facing the problem of retiring baby boomers and inadequate capacity to train replacement workers.
International Transportation Learning Center
February 2010
Electrical Standards Fundamentals
A document of electrical safety standards and fundamentals. The fundamentals include Electrons, Static Electricity, and Magnetic fields. It also covers how power is transmitted to buildings through the power grid and how grounding is built into delivery systems. This resource is intended only to provide an overview of fundamental principles – please see Terms & Conditions.
International Transportation Learning Center
January 2010
TOPICS: Safety and Health , Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
Signals Training Standards Curriculum Map
A curriculum map of the Signals Training Standards released on January 22, 2008.
International Transportation Learning Center
January 2008
TOPICS: Safety and Health , Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
APTA Recommended Practice for Transit Bus Operator Training
This recommended practice provides guidance for standardized transit operator training to assist in the development of professional bus operators resulting in quality service. Individual operating agencies can modify these guidelines to accommodate their specific training goals and operating modes.
American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
May 2007
TOPICS: Safety and Health , Trainer and Mentor Development , Training
West Coast Center of Excellence in Zero Emission Technology
SunLine Transit Agency’s West Coast Center of Excellence in Zero Emission Technology (WCCOE) is a workforce development program focused on deploying and operating zero emission buses in public fleets. Funded by the FTA, this center provide training, best practice information and access to technology and software geared towards the planning, procurement and deployment of zero emission buses.
SunLine Transit Agency
Course offerings include:
• Leadership and Employee Relations
• Zero Emission Bus Overview
• Zero Emission Bus Operations
• Zero Emission Bus Maintenance
• Financial Management
• Zero Emission Bus Procurement
• Zero Emission Bus Policies and Regulations
• Planning for ZEB Operation
Rail Signals Training Content and Standards
An overview of ITLC’s signals training course (2 modules—level 100 and 200).