he was going to focus on. However, after his first semester in community college in the prison, where he achieved straight As, grants that were funding the classes were cut, and he could not attend anymore. Henshaw spoke about how it took 28 years to finally reinstate college funding to New Jersey’s prisons and how he was responsible for writing a bill with New Jersey legislators that made education mandatory in all of New Jersey’s prisons. He was also one of the co-founders of The New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ-STEP), which provided college-level education to people in prison. The program was initiated in 2012 along with New Jersey legislation that allowed people who have been incarcerated to apply for state grants and scholarships. While this legislation was passed, it did not have any money attached to the program, so community volunteers secured private funding to pay for the education initiative. NJ-STEP and the associated legislation made it possible not only to study for an associate’s degree, but also for the degree to be transferable to any 4-year university in the State of New Jersey. Now the program has grown to have both bachelor’s degree and master’s certificate programs available.

Another issue Henshaw spoke about was the lack of digital knowledge. He became incarcerated in 1988 and was released in 2018, so he has had to learn all about technology, including smartphones, computers, and search engines. He noted that people often forget that this large knowledge gap exists for justice-impacted individuals and that people who are in prison learn not to trust people or ask for help when struggling with these types of issues. It is thus important for people who work with formerly incarcerated individuals to understand exactly what a population needs and what to provide them. Henshaw also emphasized one of the most important things he has learned is that individuals cannot wait for an opportunity, they must create them. If an opportunity does not exist, a person has to make it for themself.

In New Jersey, only 4% of people with life sentences receive parole on their first eligibility, so the state developed a parole readiness program. Data show that people with the greatest success were people who were already doing service to the community while incarcerated. Those intrinsically compelled to service in their community were less likely to return to prison. If organizations can focus on providing service opportunities to people in prison and send people with this mindset to the training programs, they will be more successful.

How can organizations provide opportunities that build people up, train people to make better decisions, change families and communities, and break outside of the box of limitations that confine people? He thinks people who are currently or formerly incarcerated are some of the most underserved populations in America and that this untapped community is filled with people who are just looking for an opportunity. As Henshaw

said, it is uncommon to find people like him who will break barriers; rather, organizations have to start reaching out, investing in resources, and creating opportunities to build more people like him.

Henshaw also believes organizations and state governments need to look at providing education to justice-impacted individuals from a public health perspective. He has met with law enforcement who are focused on safety and says, “I have never met a healthy community that wasn’t safe.” This includes tackling food and housing insecurity. Society can address these issues by recruiting from those very populations, speaking their language, and serving those people.

Krystalyn O’Leary, Bus Operations Program Manager, Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District

Krystalyn O’Leary has been with the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (Golden Gate Transit) for 16 years, working in a number of different roles. Currently, she manages labor relations and oversees their pre-apprenticeship program that was recently launched. The College of Marin wrote the grant for the California Apprenticeship Initiative, which Golden Gate Transit can use to support the structure of their apprenticeship program.

The California Apprenticeship Initiative provides support and training for professional bus operators in a trade industry. One of the key roles on their team has been their special assignment apprenticeship coordinator position, who acts as the lead mentor in their mentorship program, provides support for the apprenticeship program through relationship building with bus operators, the California Department of Labor, the California Department of Apprenticeship Standards, and others. They originally partnered with California Transit Works in 2015 to launch their mentorship program, and successfully relaunched the program in 2021 to invigorate the program, onboard new mentors, and provide mentors with specialized training to better support their current bus operators. The mentors participate in practicum, shadow days, and in-person onboarding of new hires. Their two lead mentors are being onboarded as adjunct faculty at the College of Marin to teach new apprentices about skills such as customer service, de-escalation, and other real-world job issues.

Golden Gate Transit has also developed a strong partnership with Santa Rosa Junior College and started their first pre-apprenticeship transfer transportation program in the United States. Their Bus Operator PreApprenticeship Program gives people a pathway to family-sustaining career opportunities, with family benefits, a pension, college reimbursement, and other support for ongoing training for their employees. The program, which is virtual and 12 weeks long, focuses on workplace skills and has two

on-site shadow days with Golden Gate Transit to provide work environment exposure. The participants also receive $1,000 upon completion of the program, which provides incentive for attendance and assists with the cost of getting a permit for driving a bus.

When collecting data about the initial program, Golden Gate Transit found a variety of “front door” challenges. For example, 67% of applicants could not submit a completed application, and of the 33% with complete applications, 40% of them failed the written skills test. From there, only 20% of the original applicants proceeded with the interview and 16% completed the program and were offered employment as bus operators. To combat these issues, Golden Gate Transit wanted to adjust their standards to mitigate employment barriers. The new application process is now done in-house with the Human Resources Department, which can provide applicants more support and tools. Now, the written skills test is waived with completion of the program, and high school diploma requirements are waived for pre-apprentices upon completion of the program. In addition, the hours of driver experience needed and age requirements were dropped upon completion of the pre-apprenticeship program, and applicants with more than two moving violations within the last 3 years were reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Golden Gate Transit was also committed to recruiting in priority populations and worked with the College of Marin to include more bilingual instruction to foster a more inclusive learning environment. They are now looking into new revisions to their requirements to help justice-impacted individuals, but it is still a work in progress.

Golden Gate Transit has partnered with Canal Alliance to provide 2 years of wraparound services to clients upon completion of College of Marin Apprenticeship Program, including English as a second language (ESL), career support, transportation, rental assistance, and more. The partnership also provides feedback loops (with employee consent) to ensure employee success, and Canal Alliance checks in with bus operators about job performance, attendance, challenges they may have, and other aspects of their job.

Jorge Quezada, Chief Inclusion Officer and Vice President of People & Culture, Granite Construction

Jorge Quezada spoke about Granite Construction’s strategies to increasing diversity. One of the questions he often receives is about how his company increased the women represented in construction jobs and in leadership, with future projections looking even greater. People specifically want to know how they achieved a company that is about 50% racially diverse. Three areas that he finds very important when talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion, or “inclusive diversity” are:

to reach out to students while still in school and immediately after they have graduated. This capability ensures students are familiar with Granite Construction well before graduation and facilitates real conversations about next steps, which has greatly increased their levels of recruitment.

Quezada ended by emphasizing that the company has created an environment where they regularly hold important conversations, and where people both inside and outside of their company can recognize how far they have come in inclusive diversity. Granite Construction hopes the company will be known to people in the future as fostering this type of strong community and inclusive atmosphere.

TOPIC 1 BREAKOUT GROUP SUMMARY

Strengths and Strategies

• Identify training methods that would enable students to cross-train across different and new career pathways (i.e., welding to electrical).
• Conduct research to understand the impact and reach of recruitment programs (what works and does not work in a community).
• Exposure and immersion are important, so ensure that students see people who look like them in different careers paths. Demonstrate opportunities and examples of diverse leaders in roles and positions.
• Educate human resources and recruiters, so staff can understand the barriers and requirements in their community, address any internal practices or issues within their organization, and improve their hiring and employment practices.
• Ensure that wraparound services (holistic services that include housing, food, health care, transportation, etc.) are provided to ensure the basic needs of students and employees are met.
• Do not just show up—show out! Create meaningful opportunities that demonstrate community/societal impact of transportation careers. Emphasize the human elements and the impact that an organization has on people and communities.
• Develop strong relationships with K–12 districts to build recruitment pipelines in schools and industry. Creating engagement with the community and local stakeholders, increasing visibility of careers, regular events, and education is critical.
• Have industry and companies support events and visit Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and community colleges throughout the year, instead of having a single hiring fair or expo. This could be done with internship programs and company–school partnerships

• that have industry representatives working with teachers and guidance counselors to invest in the school and students, develop career pathways with focused skill building, and provide training opportunities to students.
• Break down barriers by increasing recruitment strategies and removing requirements that can be later learned through training. This includes:
  • Reaching out to individuals who have gone through juvenile detention or are on probation. In addition, provide training to employers about interacting and working with individuals who are justice-impacted.
  • Removing certain graduation or certificate requirements or provide resources for people to graduate or attain certifications.
  • Having case workers who are dedicated to supporting wraparound services.
  • Establishing parent or family networks and workshops for at-home support.
  • Providing training to staff about neurodiversity and create hiring programs for individuals who are neurodiverse.
  • Hiring a diverse set of employees to ensure that many languages are represented across those who are hired. Alternatively, provide language courses so that employees can better communicate with their team.

Weaknesses

• Many training institutions and employers have not invested in the child care solutions that provide opportunities for more people to enter the workforce.
• Programs have not effectively shared and disseminated examples of demonstrated successes.
• Employers and leaders currently have limited training on inclusive practices and understanding vulnerable populations.

Opportunities

• Make diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts intentional by developing policies that make inclusion possible.
• Start outreach and programs early (K–12).
• Think outside the box about what changes are needed and how to connect with target audiences. This may include partnering with major conferences, social media, or other types of outreach opportunities that can reach different communities and populations.

• Increase communication across organizations so best practices and opportunities can be more readily shared. Create a system of information, tools, and training resources.
• Create internal training programs to teach employers how to employ a diverse workforce.

Potential and Future Challenges

• Shift conversations from “or” to “and” when talking about education and training systems. Too often, people focus on describing either/or rather than the potential to progress through both.
• What programs can be put in place to hold institutions and organizations accountable? Recruitment is good, but it can plateau.
• Pressure is often put on a few people to do all the work, so what happens when that person leaves? Instead, how do organizations create a system and culture that supports underrepresented groups?

TOPIC 2: BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS AMONG COMMUNITIES, TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND EMPLOYERS

Topic 2 Speakers

Jason Abbott, Executive Director of Workforce Community, Business Outreach, and Funding, Cuyahoga Community College

JaNice Marshall, Collegewide Vice President of Access & Community Connections, Cuyahoga Community College

Jason Abbott began by speaking about Cuyahoga Community College’s (Tri-C’s) partnership with the Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA). Their long-standing partnership is heavily focused on employer engagement, how that relates to work they are doing within their community in Northeast Ohio, and the training programs that they are connecting individuals to. Tri-C wants to ensure that they are finding people that live near their transportation routes and within their transportation hubs, connecting them to RTA, and providing them with training and job opportunities in spaces they live and travel. Their training focuses on creating opportunities to enhance skills and, more importantly, for employers to see skill growth and to connect individuals to job pathways. The program includes professional development initiatives for RTA employees, apprenticeships that provide hands-on training, career pathways, and joint participation in events that enrich the community.

• career training and college credits. Many transit agencies will also pay for individuals to go to college, which is a great entry opportunity for people to get started in a career. Local and national partnerships have also allowed them to grow a national model of mentorships and apprenticeship programs across the country.
• Direct and Real Connections with the Industry. The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) is focused on transit agencies that have a number of job openings. It is important to create programs, recruit employees, and retain jobs. To achieve these goals, ATU and the Transit Workforce Center use unions and veteran frontline workers to provide mentorship, give employees a safe space to get support they need to stay on the job, and have longtime workers share their knowledge, purpose, and passion.
• Align the Pre-Employment and Occupational Training with the Clear and Identified Apprenticeship and Training Needs. ATU currently has 138 apprenticeship programs across the country, and the current international president of ATU has plans to grow that to every local and transit agency that ATU represents. They want to ensure that they are connecting people not just to employment, but to places where they have apprenticeship programs that will introduce career pathways, allow people to earn college credits, and open a world of opportunities.

Gibson stressed how ATU is committed to the workforce, the people who they represent, the partnerships they make, and making sure that transit has a bright future.

Hilary Nixon, Deputy Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University

Peter Romine, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, Navajo Technical University

Hilary Nixon is the deputy executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute, and Peter Romine is a faculty member with Navajo Technical University’s (NTU’s) School of Engineering, Math, and Technology. The two of them have worked together since 2016, which Nixon described as a period of growth, discovery, and development.

The Mineta Transportation Institute is a University Transportation Center (UTC), which focuses on research, education, workforce development, and technology transfer. The center is hosted at San Jose State University, which is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution. They also partner with

Howard University, the University of South Florida, and Navajo Technical University. The institute’s priorities align closely with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT’s) strategic priorities. This includes transportation equity and using mobility to create an equitable society and climate, as well as sustainability, economic strength, and global competitiveness, especially within freights and goods movement.

Nixon discussed how much work they do within the “K to Gray” space, including preschools, elementary through high school, university degree certification programs, a master’s of science degree in transportation management program, and more. Their master’s degree program is geared toward working professionals and works closely through partnerships, including Caltrans, transit agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, and the private sector. They also have a mid-career leadership academy program where they focus on retention, promotion, and succession planning. Through their programs, they focus on the ladders of opportunity toward high-quality, good paying, family-supporting careers. Not only do they focus on the training of the next generation’s leaders but also the next generation of innovators.

Romine has been a professor with NTU since 2014, when he began teaching electrical engineering. After working with the Navajo people firsthand, he believes his purpose is to develop education that can change the future for the Navajo people so that they can be self-determining. This includes creating sustainable tribal nation economies, developing tribal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate programs, creating pathways to STEM careers of purpose, and developing/expanding tribal college/university research centers that are project-based and offer hands-on experiential learning.

The president of NTU wants to ensure that Navajo people have the choice to stay home and can attend college and have a career within their nation if they choose to do so. Transportation is one pathway to making this happen. Eight years ago, NTU began a Summer STEM and Skills Dual Credit Program. The program increases college readiness and the number of Native American high school students pursuing education and careers in STEM and other skilled trades. The students come from a Bureau of Indian Affairs school to earn college credits while still in high school. They can choose from a few programs: welding, construction, business and marketing, engineering, and culinary skills. This past summer, the program worked with the local community in Crownpoint, New Mexico, to develop and build tools and structures for their trails program. For example, construction students built a pergola, and an electrical engineering student built a trail counter to see how many people were walking a trail. The program has helped students realize how to use these skills to benefit their community. In addition, they closed the summer with a maker’s fair: Culinary students

cooked food and the other students shared something tangible they built and that they can take home. Thus, they were able to show their families and community that they have learned and created something meaningful.

Nixon ended by discussing some lessons learned and takeaways that other UTCs and their partners could apply to their programs:

• For people partnering with tribal colleges and universities, it is important to empower their colleagues at these schools to do the most meaningful work for their students and community.
• Sometimes organizations need to be flexible, especially with how they use funding. Most funding that comes in has strings and structures, so finding flexible funding can be very beneficial.
• It is important to provide technical, grant, and administrative support without being intrusive and while respecting cultural differences.
• Outside organizations must understand the history of the tribe, acknowledge that they are coming in as an outsider, work around resource and institutional capacity constraints, and work with the tribes directly to build capacity and expand the programs that they are invested in.

TOPIC 2 BREAKOUT GROUP SUMMARY

Strengths and Strategies

• Tap into local college resources for language education and translation.
• Work with companies regularly through engagements (e.g., interview workshops, industry events) and social events. These events can establish meaningful connections with the students even if they cannot hire them for several years.
• Create K–12, STEM, and self-sustaining programs that foster years-long connections and development.
• Create working groups between state departments of transportation (DOTs), non-profits, educational institutions, contractors, and workforce boards to identify, train, and retain individuals into transportation careers. Create network-based partnerships that go beyond state lines, across modes, and across industries.
• Partner with companies that have scholarships. Even small dollar amounts make a big difference for students’ budgets and potential debt.
• Know each partners’ capabilities and limitations, including fixed costs for funding, available resources, etc. Identify what each partner can bring to the table and create a mutual agreement that outlines how partners will work together and make decisions.

• Partnerships within the university level are often necessary before growing outward. Start with internal leadership, different departments, and workforce development, and expand from there.
• Have funding partners be present in some of the decision making. Find mutually beneficial partners where all parties can give and get something from the relationship.
• Make sure mentorship is a key part of a program or partnership. Sharing institutional knowledge and resources can help another program grow and develop.

Weaknesses

• There is a lack of employers in remote areas like those that are tribal and rural, making it hard to build partnerships in those regions.
• In some locations, it can be difficult to share or spread out work and training opportunities.
• Some funding can only be used within a specific state. Organizations may need to look at regional or national partnerships.
• Some organizations do not have the resources for website and grant management. Create partnerships where one partner can take on these roles.

Opportunities

• Host more events and workshops that bring different kinds of partners into the room. Identify what is limiting participation or decision-making conversations, and work to bring those people in.
• Learn what is going on throughout the entire workforce space including what agencies exist, what are they doing, and how they interact. Create resource bases that make this information easily accessible.
• Use successful programs that are doing strong work as models for struggling or new programs. Work to translate these models to smaller, more remote communities.
• Create more workshops that provide technical assistance to community colleges and MSIs for writing grant applications.

Potential and Future Challenges

• Low budgets and remote locations can make building partnerships difficult.
• It will be necessary to have transparent communication and mutual understanding of one another’s goals and restrictions. Cultural

• norms and building relationships within different cultures should be intentional.
• It can be easy to misunderstand what a community’s real issues are. Make sure organization staff are talking to the right people to help build connections, fill gaps, and address problems.
• Some grant programs are difficult to apply for, or some colleges may not have match funding available to apply for the “perfect” grant. Partnership networks could be used to make these grants easier to obtain.
• Some organizations receive money but will hit a barrier and cannot use the money or do not know what to do with the money after a roadblock. Creating a network to form partners could help groups overcome the barrier or find new uses for the money.

TOPIC 3: DEVELOPING SUCCESSFUL TRAINING PROGRAMS

Topic 3 Speakers

Susan Baillargeon, Highway Maintenance Program Director, Front Range Community College

Susan Baillargeon spoke about Front Range Community College’s Highway Maintenance Program, which was built in 2019 in partnership with Colorado DOT, state agencies, and the American Public Works Association. The objective of the program is to provide second-level employees with the skills they need to be promoted to management level. The program covers common skill requirements across several agencies, including traffic control safety, leadership, asset management, and preservation and preventative measures. The program provides credits to students for taking courses with partnering agencies. For example, two credits are given to those taking the traffic control supervisor program with Colorado DOT, and four credits are given for taking the Highway Maintenance Leadership Academy course with the National Highway Institute. In addition, a number of credits are given for certain preservation and asset management courses taken through the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Students can also earn credits for taking commercial driver’s license trainings and certain courses through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The program also partners with other state DOTs and agencies and private businesses, some of which provide scholarships to the students. Using these partnerships, staff within the Highway Maintenance Program continue to learn common skillsets needed to shape their program. The Front Range Foundation also provides scholarships for this program, and many state and local agencies have tuition or education assistance to help pay for the training.

seeking advanced degrees through the master’s or Ph.D. degree programs. Most of the transportation systems graduate courses are offered in the evening and/or online, allowing the program and degree to be more accessible to those who are working. The program also serves those looking to transition from operator to engineer who have been supported through federal and state reimbursement programs like Maryland DOT. Other examples include people with a military background, international students, first-generation Americans, and people making pivots in their career.

Chavis also explained how research and Morgan State’s UTCs are used to help the department and the students. When possible, the UTC provides scholarship opportunities and assistantships to students, as well as creates exposure to software purchased through their research projects. As Morgan State’s UTC staff move forward, they would like to continue this conversation of how to use funding to provide more opportunities and resources to undergraduates and master’s degree students.

Overall, a few strengths of the program include:

• The program is positioned as a leader among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the transportation space.
• Employers feel that the program is more reflective of the current industry.

Some challenges include:

• Human Resources departments sometimes make it difficult for students to be considered for jobs because many jobs will specifically filter for people with civil engineering degrees.
• Some graduates may need to fill in gaps when taking their Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) or Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam.
• It is difficult to publicize the program, especially when working with a smaller operating budget.

Stephanie Ivey, Director of the Southeast Transportation Workforce Center, University of Memphis

Michael Rebick, Assistant Vice President of Lead Traffic and ITS Engineer, WSP USA

Stephanie Ivey introduced the Greater Memphis Apprenticeship Pathway Program, which is led by the Southwest Tennessee Community College (SWTCC) and partners with the University of Memphis, the Greater Memphis Information Technology Council, and the Intelligent

Transportation Society of Tennessee. The collection of organizations was interested in developing the program because they knew industry was seeking students with competencies beyond the “traditional” set of skills and knowledge, especially because engineering programs tend to be slower to change. Part of this gap is due to rapidly changing technology, which is not often reflected in curriculum. SWTCC and the University of Memphis thus needed to align college curriculum content to the needs of the employers and the evolution of technologies through industry partnership and engagement. Furthermore, some students were failing to “find their fit” or were looking to change their major when the courses or internships were different from what they expected. Lastly, they wanted to support students in developing cross-disciplinary knowledge and skills.

The program was grant funded through the U.S. Department of Labor (U.S. DOL), and is now operating in a sustained model at the University of Memphis. While SWTCC was focused around a 2-year program in information technology and the University of Memphis was focused on its 4-year engineering programs, the Apprenticeship Pathway Program brings their interests together through a unifying theme of transformative technologies. Each institution created curriculum for the program, that in combination with work-based learning placements with industry partners formed the apprenticeship experience. For the Transformative Technologies in Engineering Course offered at the University of Memphis, Michael Rebick helped write the curriculum to input real-world topics and subjects into the program. The course is interdisciplinary, involves significant industry engagement, and ends with a team innovation project through the Transportation Technology Tournament hosted by the National Operations Center of Excellence and the U.S. DOT Intelligent Transportation Systems Professional Capacity Building Program. As a member of industry, Rebick has been able to share his perspective of what skills and tools the workforce needs to bridge any gaps in the programming. There is also a paid work-based learning experience, where faculty help select apprentices, and employers provide mentoring.

To be able to put the apprenticeship on their resume, the students had to complete both the course and the work-based learning experience successfully. However, the program wanted to be flexible to students, especially those that had to work in addition to school. To be flexible, they worked with some employers to bring students on board, while in some cases, students took the coursework without completing the full apprenticeship. In addition, they hosted workshops to help students understand the opportunities, transportation, and the impact of technologies.

Over the 4 years that the program has been ongoing, 152 University of Memphis students have completed the course, and 49 students have completed the full apprenticeship. The engineering students come from

a variety of backgrounds, primarily civil and biomedical engineering, as well as mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering, and engineering technology. There have also been 10 SWTCC students who took the transformative tech class at the University of Memphis as a part of their final year capstone at CWTCC through the partnership. In addition, they have had 47 industry partners that have been actively engaged with them over the course of the program. The program typically includes engagement from about 10 to 12 different employers over a course of a semester, including guest lectures, mentorship on innovation projects, and field trips with an industry member.

Based on course evaluations, the students felt significantly more familiar with transformative technology after completing the program. Looking at the different course components, students also overwhelming believed that the industry speakers were the most important and impactful piece of the course. The program has also led to hands-on industry exposure and even full-time positions after graduation. For instance, one student went on to gain full time employment at WSP after completing an apprenticeship there. That student was able to seamlessly begin the job with no gap for onboarding. Another important takeaway of the program is that students are more open to different career paths coming out of the program. They learn that even if a person starts in one pathway, it is not the only path they have to take. They have the ability to explore, network, and learn what is best for them. They also learn the importance of diversity and the value of having different people and backgrounds contributing to a project.

Overall, the program organizers expressed a few key takeaways and challenges. Key takeaways include:

• The value of strong partnerships from the beginning and proposal stage. It is important to have industry investment from the beginning, so they can help shape the program and stay invested in the outcome.
• Flexibility is needed, especially when faced with obstacles like COVID-19. By working from home, the students can still be productive and train through virtual platforms.
• Industry interactions are critical for building career identities in students and young career professionals.

Some challenges and obstacles include:

• Aligning academic and industry schedules for the work-based learning experiences. To optimize their schedules, University of Memphis ended up having to teach the course in the spring because this worked better for their industry partners.

• Making the case for an atypical course to the department. At first the department did not find value in the program, so they had to have industry partners advocate for the program. The program also went through a series of iterations before getting course approval. Being persistent about the importance of the program was critical to getting the program off the ground.

TOPIC 3 BREAKOUT GROUP SUMMARY

Strengths and Strategies

• The major key to a successful training program is preparation before program launch and a commitment to maintaining that foundation. This includes:
  • Ensuring students’ basic needs are met, including food, health, housing, child care, and safety.
  • Commitment and buy-in from those doing the training and teaching. Sometimes upper management will have a great idea and expect their employees to be on board with it. Ensure that the people doing the hands-on work are also enthusiastic and trained to work with a diverse population.
  • Providing instructors with sufficient and effective training in the appropriate teaching methods, including cultural competency and inclusive training tools.
  • Providing mentorship as a continuous and ongoing process.
  • Consistent self-assessment and updating to ensure that the programs are utilizing best practices and the most up-to-date methods.
• Do not assume that individuals are aware of their learning challenges or abilities. Underserved populations and older students/employees may not have had the exposure to doctors or assessments that can diagnose learning disabilities, and they may not know they require special accommodations.
• Allow students to form career paths and partnerships. Say to the students, “We have five different areas. What would you like to explore?”
• Work directly with the students and the people who will be affected by the work. A good rule is, “Nothing ABOUT us WITHOUT us.”
• Provide partnership opportunities and real-life experiences to students early on in their programs. “Learning that you don’t want to be in that world is as successful as knowing that you want to be in it.” In addition, provide students guidance on how to pivot and

• shift to new paths if the one they are on does not resonate with them anymore.
• Experiential learning is important for engaging students and deepening learning.
• Work with local partners to help shape the training programs. For example, aviation programs can partner with local airports to learn about operations, management, fueling aircraft, etc. Another example is partnering with transit agencies to determine what employers and skillsets the students need.
• Use partnerships to provide funding and resources to training programs. Having employers define important technical skills and abilities can help programs develop their curricula.
• Pre-apprenticeship programs with partners are important for students to gain management and leadership skills.
• Measure successful programs beyond the programs themselves. Look into future career trajectories, job retention, etc.

Weaknesses

• Many colleges and universities are not structured to provide wraparound services as common practice.
• It is often necessary, but difficult, to shift training/education rapidly due to constantly evolving technologies, but there are limited opportunities to fit in innovative curricula. How can educators be more innovative and adapt to modern workforce needs while still meeting mandates and requirements?
• Faculty are often not representative of the communities they serve and may not understand needs/vulnerabilities of the population they are educating.

Opportunities

• Create and utilize a pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship database for students to use. If the opportunities are already there, use time during class to highlight what is available.
• Partner with industry to offer credit for internships and apprenticeships.
• Connect curricula, majors, and careers to lived experiences, values, and cultures. These connections will better engage and motivate students.
• Integrate inclusive practices and support into curriculum and campus tools.

• Create opportunities that:
  • Develop numeracy and literacy skills to apply to any industry;
  • Facilitate adult diploma programs;
  • Remove barriers to adults who do not have high school credentials;
  • Create high performance standards in life, work, and school;
  • Are committed to lifelong learning; and
  • Are accessible to people with disabilities and individuals who are neurodiverse.

Potential and Future Challenges

• How can training programs be adapted for emerging and new technologies? There is difficulty looking forward to emerging technology needs.
• Especially for 4-year colleges and universities, accreditation requirements can be limiting in many programs, such as engineering. How can instructors be innovative and look to the future while meeting requirements?

TOPIC 4: RESOURCES AND FUNDING

Topic 4 Speakers

Valerie Lefler, Executive Director and Founder, Feonix – Mobility Rising

Valerie Lefler discussed Feonix – Mobility Rising’s journey as a nonprofit organization supporting students across the United States. The organization has worked in 10 states and is currently active in 5 states, where they are addressing transportation barriers. They are funded through the National Institutes of Health, Ford Philanthropy, Toyota, U.S. DOT, state DOTs, and family foundations.

Over the past 7 years, the organization has developed a community-centered model with an overall mission of “mobility solutions for the health and wellbeing of every person in every community.” This includes six main factors to support healthy equity: economic stability, neighborhood and physical environment, education, healthy food, community and social support, and health care. They have also identified the following overarching problem: “The fragmented labyrinth of resources, policies, and programs for transportation is not working for those who rely on it the most.”

Lefler spoke about a student from Fox Valley Technical College who had to select courses based on the bus schedule, not what she was interested in. She was also walking miles home, regardless of weather, late at night, and to and from work to help support her family. Lefler also

talked about students with disabilities who had to postpone courses due to available transportation or who had difficulty attending meetings for group projects because local paratransit services required 24-hour notice. Other examples included people who could not find transit to get the supplies they needed for a job, limited child care options, food deserts, and limited access to health care services (both physical and mental). There are populations of students with high risk for transportation insecurity, which impacts academic performance and employment opportunities. Those at high risk include refugees and newcomers, individuals who have been justice impacted, students with disabilities, single-parent households, and low-income households. Individuals in these aforementioned groups are disproportionately Black, Hispanic, and Native American students. Lefler used these cases to demonstrate how mobility is essential for students and employees to be successful, and how organizations clearly need to provide better transportation options. These issues are what Feonix works with their partners to address.

Feonix’s solution was to create a Transportation Assistance Hub made up of four legs: staffing, technology, community support, and capacity. Staffing includes a community development manager from the area, a mobility navigator to act as a combination “social worker and travel agent,” and sustainability outreach to make sure Feonix has the money and funding to provide these services. Technology includes a community operations support center, mobility as a service, and a mobility wallet. Community support includes a mobility leadership circle that acts as a nexus between industry and government to adjust and inform policy, a coordinating council on mobility that includes services for different communities (veterans, health, older adults, etc.), a transportation directory of the different programs, and a transportation subsidy library. Lastly, capacity includes local transportation providers, public and private transit, and volunteer drivers. The Transportation Assistance Hubs enable mobility for social determinants of health, including educational resources, groceries, employment, and wellness and medical appointments.

One of the staffing components, the Mobility Navigator, provides individualized mobility management, expertise, and one-on-one support navigating the complete transportation ecosystem. This includes budgeting, travel planning, referrals to social service organizations, free and discount rides, short term vehicle assistance, driver’s license assistance, and vehicle procurement assistance. Examples also include Medicaid transportation, bikeshares, car rentals, and initiatives based on someone’s background (e.g., veteran status).

The ride subsidies also vary by location. For example, Wisconsin had seven programs, each with unique requirements, including poverty level, service area, employment, minimum hours per week, limited duration of

the service, and enrollment. These programs took 2 years and 12 people to develop.

For sustainability outreach, Feonix works with a combination of public–private partnerships, philanthropy, and federal and state grant funding. Corporate sponsorships include automotive manufacturers, insurance companies, rental companies, transportation consulting, construction, and freight. Federal and state grant funding includes that from U.S. DOT, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, AmeriCorps, and more.

The Mobility Leadership Circle meets on a quarterly basis and is made up of health care workers, elected officials, and people who work with food, education, housing and utilities, transportation, employment, and social and community services. This group of stakeholders is used as a resource, can be called on for support, and will provide feedback on the program.

For Mobility as a Service (MaaS), they ensure that there are different modes of transportation available, including rideshare services, paratransit or other accessible transportation, buses, volunteer taxis, and bikeshares. They also have individuals with disabilities testing the technology to make sure the different modes of transportation listed work for all populations, including trying out the program with a screen reader and other accessibility technologies.

Feonix has also created a new technology architecture with mobility wallets. Their system is similar to rideshare apps, where a person puts in their locations and time and the program provides the user with all of the options. This program has been deployed in Wisconsin, Texas, and Tennessee, and includes both rural and urban communities. They can also add funding on their app that can be used for different services. Lefler outlined a few examples from different communities, where the user can input sustainability options, select public transit or bikeshare, opt for accessible only options, and other forms of customization. They are also developing mobility wallet debit cards that can be used for transportation options and to help provide money based on need.

Todd Pisani, Research Project Manager, Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation, Rutgers University

Todd Pisani talked about how important funding is for programs, because it is very challenging to make any progress without it. Pisani has been working with Rutgers University for 11 years, where he started with an entry-level position in what he described as a dying program. The program was fizzling and underfunded. To keep the program afloat, he began attending as many meetings as possible and hosting events. He held barbeques,

set up DJ equipment at the community center, and invited any remaining participants of the program that were still around. He also invited system partners, neighbors, and businesses in the area. He made the program immersed within the community, attended public meetings, and went to public health meetings, hospital meetings, and case management meetings. He also partnered with a trauma-informed coalition called Healing 10 and became a co-founding board member to equip their city with resources for those who have experienced trauma.

At this point, Pisani was not in a role to find money for the program, so the program continued as a community partner but with no new funding. Eventually, Pisani’s team moved to the School of Engineering. His now-previous boss was writing grant proposals and he wrote one for Pisani “as a parting gift” for a longitudinal office of minority health, a federal grant to study case management modalities. The grant, which they ended up receiving, was for about $3.5 million over 3 years. Pisani and his team began recruiting people, working on studies, and providing case management. Pisani also began working with those in academia at Rutgers to make the study successful.

When the pandemic began in 2020, the program received a notice of funding for a New Jersey Department of Labor grant called Bridges to Employing Youth. This funding allowed them to stay afloat. However, due to quarantine measures, Pisani was not allowed to carry out any programming off campus or work directly with the kids, so the program had to operate remotely. Despite these restrictions, Pisani was able to get refurbished laptops for students to engage with the program remotely. With the success of the program, they were going to receive $700,000 as a continuation fund for the next round, but then Pisani’s supervisor left the program and consequently, Pisani’s program was shut down.

Because of this situation, Pisani had to figure out what he was going to do moving forward. He still had this money, so he reached out to a member at the School of Engineering hoping to find resources and a place to carry out his program. Pisani was then introduced to Patrick Szary, his current supervisor and the associate director for the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) at Rutgers University. Patrick and other members at CAIT have embraced the program since then.

Over the past 2.5 years since joining CAIT, Pisani has become a grant writer for the program. He has learned that if a team can find money, universities are unlikely to close a program. About 50% of the grant applications Pisani wrote have been funded. He and his team have attracted about $7 million in grant funding. In that same time, they have also grown from three staff members serving one county in New Jersey to 13 staff members serving eight counties, with hopes to continue expanding.

One issue Pisani noted is that universities take a large percentage off the top of grants for overhead. While this money maintains operations and

infrastructure for a university, it also means less money is going directly toward a program and the people working within it. To try to ensure that his program can use as much of its money as possible, Pisani is working to partner with others, including community colleges, so that he can be a subawardee. He is continuing to look for other types of funding or solutions that can continue to bring in money for the program, especially since his program is not institutionalized. His next goal is to try and find open-ended funding that allows them more freedom and flexibility.

Based on his experience and story, Pisani emphasized the importance of succession planning. What does a person do when someone leaves, or a program loses its resources? If someone is the head of a program and has large responsibilities, are there people in that community and team that are prepared in case a supervisor leaves the program? Organizations always need to be prepared for unexpected disruptions and need to think about future steps to ensure the success of a program.

Dawn Tucker, Senior Transportation Specialist, U.S. Department of Transportation

Dawn Tucker is a senior public engagement specialist in the Office of Public Engagement for U.S. DOT. Tucker’s office is focused on creating opportunities for dialogue to ensure everyone can participate in and inform the work of U.S. DOT. Before this role, she worked for 20 years in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology overseeing advanced research grants.

Tucker began by outlining the top areas of investment of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,¹ which was signed into law in November 2021. The Act provided U.S. DOT $660 billion for 5 years and funds different types of transportation infrastructure investments. This funding includes $90 million per year for UTCs, which are hosted through public and private institutions of higher education and have three main objectives:

1. Advance transportation expertise and technology through research, education and workforce development, and technology transfer;
2. Provide a critical multimodal transportation knowledge base outside the U.S. DOT; and
3. Address vital workforce needs and educate the next generation of transportation leaders.

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¹ H.R.3684 - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684.

disparities in five focus areas: wealth creation; power of community; expanding access; institutionalizing equity; and proactive intervention, planning, and capacity building. She outlined these programs and directives so that attending researchers who intend to apply to Notices of Funding Opportunities can align their research efforts with the key principles that U.S. DOT considers.

Many of U.S. DOT’s plans focus on workforce development and the creation of jobs. Notably, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology’s RD&T Strategic Plan has identified goals for creating pathways to good quality jobs, including:

1. Attract and develop a new generation of transportation workers, while supporting the retention and training of the current workforce;
2. Support workforce and educational programs that create and promote opportunities for careers in transportation;
3. Enhance efforts to recruit, develop, hire, and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce; and
4. Invest in research, education, and training to build skills and create jobs so the workforce is prepared to harness new technologies and practices to create a better transportation future for all.

Tucker ended by providing a series of workforce development resources, including Aviation Workforce Development Grants, Highway Funding for Workforce Development, Transit Workforce Developing Initiatives, and Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Training and Education. She also highlighted the recently launched U.S. DOT Navigator, which is a one stop shop for technical assistance resources and navigating grant programs and application processes.

TOPIC 4 BREAKOUT GROUP SUMMARY

Strengths and Strategies

• Work at the local level with labor boards, transit agencies, and metropolitan organizations to share resources and funding.
• Many federal and state DOT offices and administrations are familiar with grant programs and have prioritized workforce development with dedicated funds. These agencies are intentional about getting money to both academic and non-academic institutions. These offices and administrations will post Notice of Funding Opportunities, where they encourage non-university partners and training centers to apply.

• Work with U.S. DOT to apply to 504E funding (Federal-aid State Core Program Funds for Training, Education and Workforce Development).
• Members from FRA noted that they have funding for workforce development training for universities. In addition, if small and large businesses have an idea they want to fund, government funding programs can be used to develop new programs or create foundations for a new program. This can include emerging technologies, K–12, knowledge management, succession planning, etc.
• Members from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) highlighted fund matching programs. For example, an organization can use U.S. DOL funds as a match with FTA funds. If working with U.S. DOL, an organization can also partner with transit agencies and the Transit Workforce Center.

Weaknesses

• There are many cases where colleges and universities have difficulty spending “free money” due to bureaucracy. If possible, funding given directly participants can be more flexible.
• There is limited funding for child care and elder care, which is a huge burden for people with dependents, especially women.
• There is limited institutionalized money, so organizations sometimes need to continuously find and apply for grant money to stay afloat.

Opportunities

• Connect with UTCs, which are all connected to their state DOTs and the private sector. Some of these centers also sponsor scholarships.
• There are American Public Transportation Association and American Public Transportation Foundation scholarships to students pursuing transportation careers.
• Some states have housing and training programs. For example, Mississippi DOT has a program called DRIVE (Developing Responsible Individuals with Valuable Education) that provides housing assistance, job training, and employment to people who are experiencing homelessness.

Potential and Future Challenges

• Sustainable long-term funding is a challenge. Programs that are built and then dissolve create a “seesaw” environment and can erode the trust of constituents.

• Transporting people to the training program can be a challenge. Many students receive free transit passes, but not all commuters live on a bus or train line, which makes transportation difficult. Finding ways to meet the transportation needs of these individuals would bring in more students and likely allow the students in these situations to be more successful.