For several years, APTA has addressed significant workforce challenges facing the public transportation industry across North America - retirement of baby-boom era employees, a generally tight labor market, increasing technological  requirement across job functions, and growing diversity of the workforce. The industry faces a critical shortage of skilled and seasoned employment as thousands of workers from the baby-boom generation near retirement over the next 5 - 10 years. Based on research, strategies for attracting Generation X,  Y and Millennium to jobs and careers in public transportation, particularly "green" sector jobs, are key to our future competitiveness, growth and sustainability as an industry.

APTA's Workforce Development Initiative (WDI) Task Force was established in 2001 to address the current and future workforce needs for the industry. The WDI Task Force initiated its work by conducting research throughout the industry as well as with stakeholders. The task force developed and executed an action plan based on the research, interviews and outreach to the broadest spectrum of public transportation employees, stakeholders and representatives from other industries. The task force completed its action plan:

• Identified the most important challenges that the public transportation industry faces in workforce development;
• Compiled innovative approaches to workforce development on the part of public transportation agencies and organizations and external "benchmarks";
• Recommended the most useful products of the initiative for the industry; and
• Determined the next steps that should be taken to help the industry address workforce development on an effective, ongoing basis.

In September 2003, APTA's Executive Committee approved the final report and recommendations of the WDI Task Force, including "mainstreaming" workforce development into the association's programs, activities and committees. APTA's commitment to providing a long-term strategy and permanent process for the industry, by dedicating more resources within the association and implementing the initiative's recommendations, has assured that workforce issues remain on the public transportation agenda. The report, Workforce Development: Public Transportation's Blueprint for the 21st Century, remains a vital resource for the industry.

APTA Workforce Development Blue Ribbon Panel

APTA Chair Dr. Beverly A. Scott has identified workforce development as one of her priorities for 2008 - 2009.  APTA's TransitVision 2050 report and authorization recommendations approved during the Annual Meeting & EXPO 2008 in San Diego highlight workforce development tenets. As APTA has been fully engaged over the course of this year advancing the association's authorization recommendations; developing specific actions to implement recommendations on the vision; and beginning work on its next five-year strategic plan, this is a prime opportunity to reivew and address current and future issues that impact workforce development for our industry. APTA's TransitVision 2050 highlights the importance of public transportation's future workforce.

Dr. Scott has established a one-year, blue ribbon panel on workforce development representing the public and private sectors of the public transportation industry, key stakeholders and partners, including labor, academia, and the next generation of leaders in our association.

The panel, with a wide array of experience and expertise, is charged with:

• Reviewing the research and recommendations of the earlier workforce development initiative;
• Identifying gaps, new opportunities, programs and services geared to helping to create and sustain a stronger, vibrant, and efficient and effective workforce; and
• Defining APTA's role in providing ongoing support to members and the industry on these issues.

The blue ribbon panel has organized its work program into six (6) focus areas

Immediate Issues focuses on advancing APTA's authorization recommendations, potential impact of the economic recovery and reinvestment act and other legislative proposals highlighting workforce development issues.

Image/Branding focuses on improving the image of public transportation as a career; promoting "green" sector jobs; making the business case for workforce development; and conducting a scan of available workforce development resources, best practices, etc.

Higher Education addresses the role of universities, transportation research centers, community colleges and technical schools in providing the pipeline for public transportation careers, and focuses on leveraging opportunities for development of core curricula in universities and community colleges.

Youth Outreach and Awareness Programs focuses on how  best to prepare the next generation of leaders within the public transportation industry, including key programs, activities and partnerships for grades K - 12.

Partnerships/Collaborations to enhance training and educational opportunities for current and future workforce; focus on labor-management partnerships; regional training consortiums; and opportunities for public and private partnerships on workforce development, etc.

Performance Metrics/Return on Investment (ROI)/Benchmarking Programs   to establish industry-developed models that measure the ROI on workforce development, training, etc., and a regular benchmarking program.

The blue ribbon panel is charged with developing immediate, short-term, mid-term and longer term (five years and beyond) action plans. The unified multi-year work program will be presented to the APTA Executive Committee in October 2009.

Suggested Resources

• Workforce Development: Public Transportation's Blueprint for the 21st Century, APTA, September 2001 (TCRP Research Results Digest 45: Identification of the Critical Workforce Development Issues in the Transit Industry) Proj J-6, Task 38, 2001.
• Workforce Development Publications and Current Projects of the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP)
• Engaging, Recognizing and Developing the MTA Workforce, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, November 2007.
• Leadership: The Next Generation, 2007 Leadership APTA Class, October 2007 
• Working Together: A Systems Approach for Transit Training, Transportation Learning Center