International Transportation Learning Center

Research and Analytics

ITLC's research portfolio includes a wide variety of workforce topics and issues. With deep experience in both quantitative and qualitative methods, we provide both national-level and location-specific research and analysis across transportation modes. As labor-management partnerships are often a key feature of workforce development programs, our research highlights best practices in cultivating these relationships. Check out some examples of our work under Resources and Publications in the Resources tab.
Workforce Development Best Practices and Case Studies

Workforce Development Best Practices and Case Studies

ITLC’s research team documents effective practices in workforce development, including training and upskilling, recruitment, apprenticeship and mentoring, adapting to new technologies, and developing career pathways. 

African-american female supervisor showing planning to workers from a clipboard at solar panel factory

Research on Job Quality and Organizational Excellence

We investigate how job design and working conditions affect workers and organizations in the transportation industry. Our research addresses safety and health, organizational culture, supportive services, and other operational practices that influence retention, worker satisfaction, and organizational outcomes.

Analytics, Dashboards, and Metrics

Analytics, Dashboards, and Metrics

ITLC provides tailored support to transportation providers and unions on tracking workforce metrics, analyzing data, and developing interactive visualizations. We also conduct research on national-level workforce trends, leveraging numerous data sources and methodologies.

Sample Projects

Transit Workforce Data Dashboard

The Data Dashboard presents quantitative, descriptive data about the composition of the transit and broader transportation workforce and trends in employment. This information is relevant for industry discussions in a range of contexts, including: strategic workforce planning in recruitment, retention, and other areas and identifying training and funding needs.

Check out the Data Dashboard

TWC Case Studies

Our case studies feature examples of innovative workforce initiatives in recruitment, retention, low- and no-emission fleet transitions, and more, to help transit systems and their partners across the U.S. learn from each other.

Read our case studies

TCRP F-32

The objective of TCRP F-32 Enhancing Transit Organizational Culture to Improve Employee Psychological Health and Safety, Recruitment, and Retention is to produce a guide for public transit agencies on building a transparent and responsive organizational culture that supports employees psychological health and safety and leads to improved workforce recruitment and retention.

Read the TCRP F-32 project page

TCRP J-11/Task 46

The objective of TCRP J-11/Task 46 Zero-Emission Vehicles: New Tech, New Skills, New Jobs is to develop a useful resource for public transportation agencies to use as they transition to new skills and new jobs for planning, operating, and maintaining zero-emission fleets and technologies for all modes. 

Read the TCRP J-11/Task 46 project page

TCRP Research Report 240

Bus Operator Workforce Management: Practitioner’s Guide was produced by the Eno Center for Transportation, ITLC, and Huber & Associates. It serves as a practitioner’s guide that provides recommendations and resources enabling transit agencies to better assess, plan, and implement their operator workforce management programs.

Read TCRP Research Report 240

Transit Worker and Rider Safety (TWRS)

ITLC is working as a subcontracter with the Center for Urban Transportation Research on TWRS, an FTA funded project, to identify public safety risks for transit workers and riders, determine the most effective mitigation strategies to minimize those risks, and promote the implementation of those strategies.

Read the TWRS funding page

Strengthening Skills Training and Career Pathways Across the Transportation Industry

This report – co-sponsored by the U.S. Departments of Transportation, Education, and Labor – is a collection and analysis of employment and skills data for the transportation industry. It highlights future employment growth areas and analyzes the patterns in the education and work experience required for entry, including on-the-job training requirements.

Read the full report

TCRP Research Report 169

TCRP Report 169: Developing Best-Practice Guidelines for Improving Bus Operator Health and Retention addresses some of the health and safety issues common throughout the transit industry, and describes approaches that transit organizations in the United States and Canada have taken to address health problems faced by transit employees.

Read TCRP Research Report 169

TCRP Research Report 174

TCRP Report 174: Improving Safety Culture in Public Transportation presents research on the definition of safety culture within public transportation, presents methods and tools for assessing safety culture, and provides strategies and guidelines that public transportation agencies may apply to initiate and build a program for improving safety culture.

Read TCRP Research Report 174