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California Rail Car Mentor Training Builds On-the-Job Learning at BART, VTA

Posted October 2017

On September 28, the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority (VTA) and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 265 hosted a mentor training session in San Jose sponsored by the National Rail Car Training Consortium in partnership with the Joint Workforce Investment (JWI). Stuart Bass, from the Keystone Development Partnership, led the session to prepare the five mentors for facilitating the on-the-job-training (OJT) component of the VTA/ATU rail vehicle maintenance training program. The class explored learning styles and communication to enhance the mentor trainee relationship. 

On September 29, BART and SEIU Local 1021 hosted the mentor session in Hayward, CA, for ten mentors. The mentors bring over a hundred years’ experience in rail vehicle maintenance to the program. The group discussed how to improve the program and expressed great commitment to transfer their knowledge to trainees.