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Programs to Expand the Skilled, Technical Transportation Workforce: Proceedings of a Workshop (2025)

Chapter: Key Takeaways

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Previous Chapter: Topic Panels and Breakout Group Discussions

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Suggested Citation: "Key Takeaways." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Programs to Expand the Skilled, Technical Transportation Workforce: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/28770.

Key Takeaways

At the beginning of Day 2, the participants came together to discuss the key takeaways from Day 1. The following list is a summary of these key takeaways. The end also includes a list of important resources that were brought up during the discussion.

PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES AND STRATEGIES

Consider the pipeline from “K to Gray,” or lifelong learning.
Include the people impacted in the decision-making process. “Nothing about us without us.”
It will be important to find effective methods to train people to work with evolving technologies (drones, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, etc.).
Educate guidance counselors about career opportunities in transportation.
Use a public health approach to build a business case for vulnerable population programs.
Develop a diversity engagement portfolio visual that highlights all the components to workforce development.

TOOLS, RESOURCES, AND FUNDING

The available information and resources are not well communicated or disseminated. It would be beneficial to create a database

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and communication system for people in the transportation community to share tools and resources.
Successful examples from programs providing wraparound services should be disseminated and replicated in other areas (e.g., in highway construction).
Create a transportation service network for youth who are justice-impacted, those in food deserts, and for those who need access to employment. Keep in mind that there are concerns with youth having to travel or transfer in hostile territories, so this should be considered when thinking about feasible transportation options.
A Capacity Building Toolkit would help employers create inclusive environments for vulnerable populations.
It would be useful to develop a general cost estimate for training vulnerable populations and a more strategic approach to distributed funding.
Handshake is a great resource for recruiting because it directly connects students to employers looking to recruit from their school and community.
Small organizations face challenges with capacity that limit their success with grants. Even if they have a grant, it is hard for them to operate because they do not have the ability to cover costs up front, and grants are typically cost reimbursable.
Funding sources should consider creating a matching program for partners.
There is very little data for return on interest for retention or hiring. It would be beneficial to obtain this data for sharing with funders and articulating impact of investment.

FUTURE EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS

Group conversations are very valuable. Create a future series of discussions to keep the group engaged and help one another with the design of solutions, including virtual follow-ups. In future discussions, make sure to include more representation from students and industry.
It would be useful to have a “How to Apply for Grants” workshop specifically for workforce development.