The NNTW promotes various workforce initiatives from each of its regional transportation centers, addressing topics such as workforce and career development, equity and gender disparity, road safety, ITS technology, and more.
Intelligent Transportation Systems
To attract, equip, and prepare the ITS workforce of tomorrow, the NNTW is creating new ways to introduce ITS and TSMO careers to a broader student audience and to expand the availability of ITS academic curriculum and other resources within high schools, community colleges, and universities.
National Transportation Career Pathways Initiative
In October 2016, the California State University, Long Beach Research Foundation was awarded the $1.25 million Transportation Workforce Strategic Initiative on behalf of the National Network for the Transportation Workforce (NNTW). Over the course of its two-year lifespan, this strategic initiative sought to establish a set of five transportation discipline-focused career pathways that could be deployed within post-secondary education/training institutions nationwide, in order to begin the development of forward-looking, technology-infused workforce pipelines that would lead students and job seekers into critical occupations within the highway transportation sector.
Women in Transportation
The transportation workforce can be enhanced by more balanced participation of women, as studies show an economic case for inclusion of women and diversity of all types in the transportation industry. Many issues lead to the underrepresentation of women in transportation, including lack of awareness, interest, role models, and workplace supports. SETWC’s focus on women in transportation seeks to address these issues through the following activities:
- Offering programs and resources to help young women better understand transportation industry careers
- Creating opportunities for women to network and learn from the experience of industry leaders
- Developing metrics and tracking impact of programs designed to increase participation and advancement of women in the industry
Road Safety Champion Program
The West Region Transportation Workforce Center (WRTWC) has partnered with the National Center for Rural Road Safety (NCRRS), the National Association of County Engineers (NACE), and the National LTAP and TTAP Association to develop the Road Safety Champion Program, which establishes a training curriculum and employee recognition that can be implemented by employers and training providers nationwide to incentivize safety competency attainment.
Empowering the New Mobility Workforce
Empowering the New Mobility Workforce: Educating, Training, and Inspiring Future Transportation Professionals enlists a multidisciplinary roster of subject matter specialists who identify the priorities and strategies for cultivating a skilled workforce for the rapidly changing transportation landscape. This book will empower readers to establish ongoing communities of practice that cultivate sustainable career pathways that respond to ever-evolving socioeconomic trends and transformational technologies.