News

Building a National System for Transit Maintenance Instructor Development

Posted October 2013

Preparing and qualifying technical instructors in transit is crucial for elevating the quality of training for bus and rail vehicle mechanics. At the Workforce Development Subcommittee meeting held at the recent 2013 APTA Annual Meeting there was strong interest in the possibility of upgrading the capabilities of these technical trainers. The idea of a multi-agency Train-the-Trainer Consortium effort bringing together a group of agencies was discussed with interest among senior managers of several agencies. Many agency representatives agreed that they had issues with under-prepared trainers who had been promoted from the ranks of technicians without adequate further training in the arts of instruction.

A related research project is currently underway to develop a national training and certification program for transit vehicle maintenance instructors (TCRP Project F-19). The project is being carried out by the Transportation Learning Center and EDSI, working in collaboration with Subject Matter Experts on bus and rail vehicle maintenance training. Scheduled for completion in Spring 2014, this project will develop core competencies, learning objectives and curriculum, as well as methods for assessing attainment of the core competencies. It will also provide a business plan for future implementation of a vehicle maintenance instructor training and certification program nationally. To learn more about this project or ways to contribute, please contact Xinge Wang, the Center’s Director of Research—xwang@transportcenter.org.