News

Department of Labor Chooses National Transit Apprenticeship

Posted September 2015

On September 9, President Obama announced the US Department of Labor’s projects for the American Apprenticeship Initiative.  Among the programs selected is a national transit apprenticeship program proposed by the Transportation Learning Center in partnership with more than twenty transit and commuter rail locations and with national organizations including the Amalgamated Transit Union, the Brotherhood or Railroad Signalmen, the American Public Transportation Association, the Community Transportation Association of America and the National Center for Women’s Employment Equity. Partners also include career and technical educational institutions such as Los Angeles Trade Tech Community College and Mountwest Community and Technical College.

The DOL apprenticeship project will allow the industry to develop new apprenticeship programs in occupations such as coach operator and signals maintenance technician while expanding and improving apprenticeships for bus maintenance technicians, rail car maintenance technicians and transit elevator-escalator technicians. 

Apprenticeship represents an opportunity for disadvantaged populations to qualify for good middle class jobs.  With these grant resources, the transit industry and its educational partners will also develop and deliver pre-apprenticeship programs to prepare people to enter into technically demanding transit jobs.

For more information: 
News Release: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/ETA20151762.htm
Project Summary: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/20150909/Md%20-%20Intl%20Transp%20Learning%20Center.pdf