Today’s transportation industry workforce faces a myriad of challenges. Infrastructure is aging and funding to maintain and replace it is insufficient. Our transportation network is evolving before our eyes – from autonomous vehicles to incorporating resilience and sustainability measures as we design, build, and maintain our roads in the face…
Transformation is imminent in the transportation industry due to a combination of issues that headline our collective consciousness. These include the emergence of disruptive technologies, funding and safety concerns, aging infrastructure, and, not the least of which, workforce shortages. The path to the successful future we envision relies on attracting,…
Just-in-time (JIT) isn’t a phrase applied only to manufacturing. While in the past JIT revolutionized how companies created goods, it is also experiencing a renaissance as a new method for streamlining training delivery. JIT training happens when a person obtains information at the time they need to apply it, even…
Labor Day is the one day of the year dedicated to celebrating America’s workers. It marks the end of the summer and the beginning of a new season. It’s a time for backyard barbeques and last-minute vacations before the kids go back to school. While we prepare for our holiday…
There are several critical workforce challenges facing the U.S. transportation sector today and state departments of transportation are taking steps to “sound the alarm” about the situation. Roger Millar, secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation, provided some stark numbers on his agency’s workforce recruiting and retention situation during…
By nearly any measure, we are entering an age of significant technological innovation that is transforming every sector of our transportation and infrastructure systems. While dramatic change can be difficult to embrace in any industry, I believe the innovation and technological advancements we are experiencing in transportation today should be…
It is well known that public transit in the United States faces a workforce skills crisis. A lot of attention—properly—goes to training for skilled craft positions, like bus mechanics. At the Transportation Learning Center, we focus on the need for training in those occupations, particularly as new technology such as…
Under the leadership of Mayor Muriel Bowser, The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is working to bring Washington DC’s roadways, alleys, and sidewalks to a state of good repair over the next five years. By 2024, we will have replaced our structurally deficient bridges, paved hundreds of miles of roadway,…
Summer marks the height of construction season. As many of us hit the road, we have probably seen several projects—and workers—along the way. When we’re not traveling, we might overlook these projects and struggle to recognize just how many workers keep our transportation systems going. Construction is always happening, of…
The United States is on the verge of a major technological revolution that will create tremendous opportunities, as well as potential challenges, for our nation’s workforce. Continuing advances in autonomous vehicle (AV) technology present an opportunity for lawmakers and relevant stakeholders to proactively form policies that ensure workers will have…