General goals
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).
Duration
Status: Ongoing
Anticipated Partnership Duration: May 2016 – Center lifetime
Timeline and Overview
On May 5, 2016, SWTWC Director Thomas O’Brien and Associate Director Tyler Reeb along with the four other regional center directors learned of FHWA’s funding opportunity number: DTFH6116RA00010. In the following Directors’ bimonthly teleconference, the center directors all agreed to form a full partnership, led by SWTWC and under the NNTW banner, to submit a proposal as the grant’s goals align with the regional centers’ missions and goals to empower and connect the transportation workforce.
In September 2016, the NNTW received a congratulatory statement regarding the Network’s success, and details to conducting the “Transportation Workforce Strategic Initiative to better define transportation career pathways in the five key disciplines of planning, environment, engineering, safety, and operations” (DTFH6116H00030, 2016).
Following the news, all regional directors and TWSI Project Coordinator Scott Jakovich, who is a high performing, experienced Workforce Development Manager, attended the kick-off meeting with FHWA representatives to discuss the scope of work for TWSI.
As stated in the proposal, SWTWC will serve as the administrative headquarters and program lead for the TWSI, and each of the regional workforce center will be responsible for addressing one critical transportation discipline: engineering, environment, operations, planning, and safety with the support of the NNTW.
At the kick-off meeting, it was confirmed that SWTWC will first launch a pilot career pathway demonstration program focused on transportation planning career pathways. The pilot program will then inform the development of subsequent career pathway demonstrations that address critical transportation occupations in transportation engineering, safety, operations, and environment.
The TWSI program will officially start in January 2, 2017.
Key Deliverables
- Submitted grant proposal July 12, 2016
- Awarded the grant September 2016
- Received and submitted Letters of Support from the following organizations:
- American Planning Association’s Transportation Planning Division (APA TPD);
- American Public Transportation Association (APTA);
- Institute of Transportation Engineers Inc. (ITE);
- National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE);
- National Transportation Training Directors (NTTD);
- National Center for Rural Road Safety (Safety Center);
- Southern California Regional Transit Training Consortium (SCRTTC);
- Transportation Workforce Institute (TWI); and
- S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF).
Anticipated Outcomes
With the development and implementation of the five career pathway demonstration programs in engineering, environment, operations, planning, and safety, SWTWC anticipates the expansion of the transportation workforce. By developing and implementing these career pathway demonstration programs, SWTWC and the NNTW will have gathered valuable data on program best practices, and developed critical analyses on skills and competencies of the transportation workforce for each of the five disciplines. This data will be invaluable for developing career pathways and pipelines for priority occupations in transportation, and the implementation of said programs. Thus, in addition to increasing the transportation labor market pool, there will be an increase in curricula and programs developed in transportation careers, and increase visibility of career opportunities in transportation.
Contribution Analysis
- SWTWC led proposal submission efforts.
- SWTWC wrote, organized, planned, compiled, and submitted the proposal.
- SWTWC garnered letters of support for the initiative from the following organizations:
- American Planning Association’s Transportation Planning Division (APA TPD);
- American Public Transportation Association (APTA);
- Institute of Transportation Engineers Inc. (ITE);
- National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE);
- National Transportation Training Directors (NTTD);
- National Center for Rural Road Safety (Safety Center);
- Southern California Regional Transit Training Consortium (SCRTTC);
- Transportation Workforce Institute (TWI); and
- S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF).
- SWTWC will serve as administrative lead and headquarter for TWSI.
- SWTWC identified Scott Jakovich as an invaluable Project Coordinator for TWSI.
- SWTWC will launch the first pilot demonstration program.
- SWTWC will lead all career pathways efforts in planning.
- SWTWC will support all the NNTW career pathway efforts in transportation engineering, safety, operations, and environment.
Documentation
SWTWC. (2016). “Transportation workforce strategic initiative technical application.” Retrieved from https://www.swtwc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/TWSI-Technical-Application.pdf.
FHWA. (2016). DTFH6116H00030. Retrieved from https://www.swtwc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/16H00030-BASE-AWARD.pdf.