The Evolving Surface Transportation Operations and Maintenance Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities

Sponsored by: The Transportation Research Board and the TRB Standing Committee on Maintenance and Operations Personnel  

Description: The NNTW collaborated with TRB on a webinar conducted August 18, 2016 that focused on the rapid changes in the surface transportation maintenance and operations workforce. Influencing factors such as increasing retirement rates, downsizing staff, issues with recruiting and retaining qualified employees, shifting responsibilities, and expanded use of advanced technologies were explored. This webinar features presenters from the National Network for the Transportation Workforce (NNTW) and industry, and explores challenges and opportunities in attracting and retaining potential workers in specific demographic or experience groups, namely: millennials, women, non-native English speakers, and veterans. 

The webinar covered the following topics: 

• Millennials and the transportation workforce 
• Creating opportunities for women in the transportation workforce
• Language diversity challenges in the emerging transportation workforce
• Linking veterans credentials to transportation job qualifications
• Opportunities for professionals at the National Operations Center of Excellence 

Presenters: 

Susan Gallagher, West Region Transportation Workforce Center at Montana State University  

Stephanie Ivey, Southeast Transportation Workforce Center at University of Memphis 

Thomas O’Brien, Southwest Transportation Workforce Center at California State University, Long Beach 

LaShanda Dawkins, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority 

Steve Lavrenz, National Operations Center of Excellence 

Moderated by: Dave Bergner, Monte Vista Associates, LLC 

Webinar Materials: 

Link to presentation slides:  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/webinars/160818.pdf 

[Contact Reggie Gillum for instructions on receiving a copy of the recorded webinar.]