Graphic: From the Equity from the Frontline Report, "Workers’ Insight and Leadership Supports a Network of Apprenticeships in Transit"
Client Question:
Since zero-emission bus (ZEB) technologies, including battery electric buses (BEB), depend heavily on a strong workforce to support them, what steps can we take to increase the likelihood that a skilled workforce is available?
Civic Sphere worked with the National Center for Applied Transit Technology’s office in Washington D.C. in 2022, creating the “Engaging Frontline Employees in Adopting New Transit Technologies” guidebook which is currently available in its Tech University platform.
The answer? First, the public transport industry must consider the reasons why it has had such difficulty, even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, attracting and retaining enough workers to operate transit services – even without considering advanced technology. Reasons for this situation are provided along with the top 3 recommended ways to engage employees based on the strengths of the public transport industry. Second, training staff on ZEB/BEB technologies must become a major focus area for organizations and the industry as a whole. Third, high quality training approaches, such as high-tech apprenticeships, should become a part of the strategy moving forward. From the guidebook: “Not only would training and apprenticeships increase the likelihood of having a stable transit workforce, they would serve as a base for employee engagement—employees who are invested in are more likely to be committed to their work.” The final chapter closes with a series of proposed next steps, which can help a reader apply the information to their own situation. Interviews with representatives of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and multiple transit agencies informed the Guidebook's content and direction.
Since zero-emission bus (ZEB) technologies, including battery electric buses (BEB), depend heavily on a strong workforce to support them, what steps can we take to increase the likelihood that a skilled workforce is available?
Civic Sphere worked with the National Center for Applied Transit Technology’s office in Washington D.C. in 2022, creating the “Engaging Frontline Employees in Adopting New Transit Technologies” guidebook which is currently available in its Tech University platform.
The answer? First, the public transport industry must consider the reasons why it has had such difficulty, even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, attracting and retaining enough workers to operate transit services – even without considering advanced technology. Reasons for this situation are provided along with the top 3 recommended ways to engage employees based on the strengths of the public transport industry. Second, training staff on ZEB/BEB technologies must become a major focus area for organizations and the industry as a whole. Third, high quality training approaches, such as high-tech apprenticeships, should become a part of the strategy moving forward. From the guidebook: “Not only would training and apprenticeships increase the likelihood of having a stable transit workforce, they would serve as a base for employee engagement—employees who are invested in are more likely to be committed to their work.” The final chapter closes with a series of proposed next steps, which can help a reader apply the information to their own situation. Interviews with representatives of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and multiple transit agencies informed the Guidebook's content and direction.
