SWTWC strives to develop a network-driven (rather than programmatic) approach that connects resources, best practices, and innovative thinkers already engaged in transportation workforce development.
To accomplish this, SWTWC builds strategic partnerships that connect thought leaders from previously siloed fields of industry, education, government, and labor. Building such a network enables SWTWC to gain insights into stakeholder programs, harmonize workforce development efforts across the region, and develop a model approach to transportation workforce development across the United States.
In order to effectively and efficiently connect and empower the transportation workforce, SWTWC prioritizes its efforts according to the strategic value of a partnership. SWTWC makes this assessment using the partnership’s key deliverables, anticipated outcomes, and the partnership’s potential to advance SWTWC’s research priorities and four Workforce Initiatives:
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Promoting Apprenticeship Programs for the 21st Century
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GIS Tribal Training
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Promoting Awareness of Trucking Occupation
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Supply Chain Diversity
The graphic below provides an overview of the range of partnerships SWTWC engages in to effectively and efficiently enhance the Center’s vision:
Degrees of Working Together Continuum
Patton, M. (2011). Developmental evaluation: Applying complexity concepts to enhance innovation and use. New York: Guilford Press.
Forging 20 featured partnerships connected SWTWC with 60 cooperating, coordinating, collaborating, and full strategic partnerships with the following partners:
SWTWC Partners
SWTWC’s Featured Partnerships; including the type of partnership and the partnerships’ general goals, are thematically sorted into three categories:
For further information on each partnership; e.g. focus areas, continuum area, duration, timeline and overview, anticipated outcomes, SWTWC’s role, and documentation, please click on the links provided below.
Promoting Diversity in the Transportation Workplace
Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)
In a coordinating partnership with CDOT, SWTWC introduced market-based solutions, such as Civic Markets and the sharing economy, as possible ways that state Department of Transportation leaders could address transportation workforce challenges in the future.
“Diversity in the Transportation Industry” Webinar
In a coordinating partnership, the NNTW co-hosted a webinar with the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) titled Diversity in the Transportation Industry: Attracting and Engaging Diverse Groups in order to explore and celebrate diversity in the transportation workforce by looking at different careers and opportunities, how programs can serve underrepresented populations, and organizational transformations.
Faster, Smarter, Cleaner, Greener Summit
In a full partnership with the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI), SWTWC coordinated a summit for industry leaders to engage transportation stakeholders about the impact of new green technologies and new intelligent transportation systems on the transportation workforce.
GIS Tribal Training Initiative
In a collaborating partnership with Esri, SWTWC will form a GIS Tribal Training Workforce Initiative to advocate the development of GIS tribal training programs, and the use of geographic information systems (GIS) within tribal populations.
Long Beach Business Journal (LBBJ) Perspectives
In a cooperating partnership with the LBBJ, SWTWC will highlight current transportation workforce challenges, and promote local workforce development programs and opportunities in transportation; such as exemplary education and training programs, partnerships, and industry events.
National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE)
With a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by both parties, the National Network for the Transportation Workforce (NNTW) and NAPE agreed to form a collaborating partnership to advance their common interests and initiatives, create opportunities for underserved populations, and promote an increasingly skilled and resilient workforce to meet the needs of the transportation sector in the coming decades.
Supply Chain Diversity Initiative
In a collaborating partnership with key players in the transportation industry and academia, SWTWC will conduct outreach to underserved populations traditionally disconnected from supply chain-related jobs; such as women, veterans, and English language learners (ELL; formerly referred to as ESL), and promote education and training programs and career opportunities available in the supply chain workforce.
Transportation Career Pathway Development
Apprenticeship Webinars
In a coordinating partnership with major public and private transportation organizations, SWTWC will disseminate information on apprenticeships, succession planning, knowledge transfer, and talent management; including best practices to create and implement said programs in order to effectively recruit, retain, and train the transportation workforce.
CDL Program – Trucking Career Pathway
In a collaborating partnership between Pima Community College (CC) and Schneider National, SWTWC will help establish a career pipeline into trucking for Pima CC students in the Commercial Drivers’ License (CDL) Program by providing graduates with career opportunities in Schneider National, a major provider of truckload, logistics and intermodal services.
CDOT University
In a coordinating partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), SWTWC will support its launch of a new on-the-job training program called CDOT University for current CDOT employees to be better prepared and skilled to handle new and emerging technologies in transportation.
Golden State Logistics/Express, Inc.
In a collaborating partnership with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Public Affairs, SWTWC seeks to relate the themes of next generation logistics technologies, workforce development needs, and development of methods that meet statewide economic, sustainability, and freight efficiency standards to a targeted audience of graduate students; i.e. future leaders in transportation.
“Innovative TDL Partnerships” Webinar
In a coordinating partnership, SWTWC co-hosted a webinar with Advance Career and Technical Education (CTE) (previously the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium) to promote partnerships between educators and industry professionals in transportation, increase awareness of workforce development efforts in grades K-12, and disseminate information on how to implement similar efforts.
Materials Handling Institute (MHI)
With a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by both parties, the National Network for the Transportation Workforce (NNTW) and MHI are in a collaborating partnership where each party agrees to advance common interests and initiatives to promote an increasingly skilled and resilient workforce to sufficient numbers, and to meet the needs of the transportation distribution and logistics sector in the coming decades.
Talent Pipeline Management Academy
In a cooperating partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF), SWTWC Associate Director Tyler Reeb will attend the Talent Pipeline Management Academy (TPMA) to learn how supply chain talent management principles can be implemented to help fill skills gaps in the transportation industry.
Transportation Workforce Strategic Initiative
In a full partnership with the four other regional workforce centers under the National Network for the Transportation Workforce (NNTW), SWTWC will lead a national career pathway demonstration program under the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) grant titled “Transportation Workforce Strategic Initiative” (TWSI).
Transformational Technology
City of Long Beach Public Works
In a coordinating partnership with the City of Long Beach Public Works, SWTWC will connect the City of Long Beach workforce challenges and needs with the application of new intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technologies.
“Disruption or Innovation?” 2017 TRB Panel
In a cooperating partnership with the Transportation Research Board (TRB), SWTWC will facilitate a high-level panel discussion among industry organizations that are incorporating new age technologies into the intermodal freight system and its impact on workforce development for the 2017 TRB Annual Meeting attendees.
Hyperloop One
In a coordinating partnership with Hyperloop One and the University Transportation Centers, SWTWC will identify and disseminate best practices in innovative transportation research, business models, and training in order to promote further workforce development efforts; e.g. internships, apprenticeships, and partnerships between academia and industry stakeholders.
ITS Peer Exchange
In a cooperating partnership with various industry organizations, SWTWC hosted an ITS Peer Exchange via GoToMeeting to gather direct input from industry leaders on how advances in technology will impact intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and the transportation workforce.