News

Transportation Learning Center Awarded FTA Funding to Advance Trng for Signals & Rail Vehicle Maint

Posted August 2015

On Tuesday, August 25, 2015 the Department of Transportation announced awards for $9.5 million in workforce development grants to promote careers in transit, ladders of opportunity .  Two Center projects were selected for funding.

The first project is a continuation of the already highly successful Signals Training Consortium.  This new round of funding will enable the consortium to complete all its signals courseware development and pilots. In addition, the project will carry out tasks related to career pathways - especially for veterans, women and minorities.  The Center will work with Subject Matter Experts to create a series of Military-Signal Maintainer Skills Crosswalks which compare skills acquired through different military branches to the skills needed to be a signal maintainer.  From this, the Center will develop training and recruitment materials to aid in filling the future workforce needs of transportation locations in a more equitable way - focusing specifically on how to recruit women and minorities.

The second project, Integrating Career Pathways in Public Transportation: Rail Car Maintenance and Beyond, will develop courseware specific to the skills needed for rail vehicle maintenance as well as develop Transit Core Competencies Curriculum that provide a generic entry point for anyone looking to start a career in transit.  Through strategic partnerships with transit workers’ unions and large transit agencies, among others, this program will ensure that participants receive high-quality instruction that is directly related to current and future careers in transit. Recruitment efforts will focus on underserved communities, creating Ladders of Opportunity.

For more information see:
DOT Press Release
Complete List of Funded Projects

If your location is interested in being part of these efforts, contact the Center: joyce.williams@transportcenter.org .