# Presentation: 861333

## Transportation Pipeline & Workforce Development forthe Transit Industry

- Pamela Boswell
- American Public Transportation Association

## Today’s Focus

**Industry Snapshot &                Workforce Challenges  **
**APTA’s Workforce Development Efforts   **
**Partnership & Collaborations**

## 6,000 transit systems operate in the U.S
9.4 billion annual boardings
61 percent of trips taken are on buses
38 percent of trips taken are on rail vehicles
Top 30 systems provide 70 percent of transit boardings

**6,000 transit systems operate in the U.S**
**9.4 billion annual boardings**
**61 percent of trips taken are on buses**
**38 percent of trips taken are on rail vehicles**
**Top 30 systems provide 70 percent of transit boardings**

## As an Industry ...

**374,000 transit workers nationwide**
**40-50% transit baby-boomers eligible to retire in next 5-10 years**
**90% of public transportation labor force represented by unions**
**Increasing pressures to attract, recruit and retain staff **
** ****Nature of transit jobs are changing**
**Transit Industry -- Increasingly becoming high tech and technology-dependent **

## Transit is Important... 

**$38 billion industry**
**21% growth in ridership **
**Growth in new transit systems**
**Good for business & economic development **

## The Changing Landscape means...

**New Skills, Performance Standards and Expectations**
**Advanced Technologies**
**Increasing Technology Dependencies**
**New Markets and Communities**
**Shifting Customer Demographics and Needs**

**Notes:**
Some points to address:
We are working in a changing environments -- this is not the generation that rides old diesel buses and bumpy trains. Today’s ridership has a diverse set of needs, demands and expectations. The industry is responding by putting the customer first and being sensitive to their personal needs to attract and keep their ridership.
Not enough dollars - federal, state, local to go around and everyone wants a piece of the pie; today’s economy still does not generate enough revenue for many properties who rely on a sales tax base for their revenue sources
IT is everywhere, microchips and advanced technology are everywhere, laptops are needed by today’s mechanics to diagnose today’s equipment (bus/rail) needs
Ridership programs are trying to expand to new markets and to reach out to new communities of users
Success is being earmarked by creative business relationships -- public sector, private sector, labor, other -- increasing dependency on each others expertise and responsiveness to customer needs
Transit professionals can no longer succeed with yesterday’s skill set -- and it’s not just  the IT that we are talking about, though that’s a big part; today transit agencies and organizations are running much more sophisticated and complex organizations -- even traditional org charts may have matrix management reporting and accountability structures. Both public and private sectors have staff whose lives are more demanding and more complicated. Employers are working hard to have a more flexible working environment to help support staff’s work and personal/family needs. Labor negotiations, thought still a challenge, are now seeing more examples of partnership approaches versus an us versus them approach.   
And yes, the boomers are retiring -- up to 50% within the next 10 years!!! -- who is in line to take their place and to sustain and promote the industry?

## Overall Labor-Market & Workforce Characteristics

**Tight labor market -- Next two decades**
**Future workforce -- 80% born in US; 20% immigrants**
**Increasing ethnic diversification **
**Women make up 48% of workforce**
**Overall, service & professional jobs to account for almost 50% of all new jobs in 2006**
**Computer related/IT positions constitute fastest growing jobs and the hardest to fill and retain**
**Rapidly changing technology has created a skill shortage**

## APTA Workforce Development Initiative

**“****Workforce Development : Public Transportation’s Blueprint for the 21st Century” **
**“****We want people to work in public transportation”****	**
**Public Transit -- An Employer of Choice**

## Key Findings ...

**Changing workforce demographics**
**New and younger workers**
**More women in the workforce**
**More immigrants**
**Critical labor shortages**

## Universal Observations ... 

**Industry criticism**
**Institutional barriers**
**Little funding for human resource planning and development**
**“****The transit system has tended to be ingrown, cut off from other parts of American business”**

## Public and Private Sector
Policy, Advocacy & Representation
Leadership & Management 
Technology, Engineering, Planning and Logistics, People Needs
Operational and Service Roles
Risk Management and Security
Communications
Finance

**Public and Private Sector**
**Policy, Advocacy & Representation**
**Leadership & Management **
**Technology, Engineering, Planning and Logistics, People Needs**
**Operational and Service Roles**
**Risk Management and Security**
**Communications**
**Finance**

## Pipeline Issue for Transit: Succession Planning...

**Has **_**not**_** been transit’s “top 10”**
**Fast becoming a recognized ‘hot’ item  **
**Different states of ‘organizational readiness’ across the country**
**Some transit best practices, not enough**
_**The Challenge**_**: To develop the Transit Industry’s set of approaches, models & toolkits for Succession Planning   **

## Pipeline Issues: Succession Planning Practices at Work...

**Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Washington, DC)**
**King County Department of Transportation/Metro Transit (Seattle)**
**Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (San Jose)**
**Port Authority of Allegheny County (Pittsburgh)**
**Labor-Management Partnerships**

## “Positioning the Public Transportation Operating Agency as an Employer of Choice” -- TCRP Report 103

**Incorporate succession planning into the Annual performance planning process for your organization**
**Define and communicate organizational and employee succession goals**
**Articulate organizational succession process and identify opportunities**
**Provide management support for mentoring and knowledge sharing activities**
**Promote cross-training opportunities for all employees**
**Identify key metrics that chart the progress of the succession planning programs/processes**

## APTA’s Updated Strategic Plan...

**APTA Executive Committee approves Mainstreaming Workforce Development **
**On-going industry support**
**Workforce Clearinghouse**
**“****Employer of Choice” -- brand new TCRP resource**
**APTA’s eLearning & Industry Expert Webinar Series**
**Conference Sessions, Workshops & Programs**

## Partnerships & Collabortions:ENO Foundation

**Leadership Development Curricula for Public Transportation Executives**** **

## Ongoing Collaborations with...

**National Transit Institute**
**Council of University Transportation Centers**
**Society of Human Resource Management**
**Motor Carrier Passenger Council **
**Conference of Minority Transportation Officials**
**Women’s Transportation Seminar**

## Expanded Collaborations with...

**Amalgamated Transit Union**
**Transport Workers Union**
**Community Transportation Development Center**
** ****American Association of Community Colleges**

## APTA Outreach Programs...

**Leadership APTA Program**
**American Public Transportation Foundation**

## APTA/DOL Partnership

**Department of Labor High Growth Job Initiative Program**