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Transportation Research Board
Report Special Report 275 Released
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The Transportation Research Board's
(TRB) study titled "The Workforce Challenge, Recruiting, Training and
Retaining Qualified Workers for Transportation and Transit Agencies," (TRB
Special Report 275) examines how the changing roles and responsibilities of
public transportation agencies will affect their human resource needs over the
next two decades. The report recognized that transportation agencies face an
unprecedented level of retirements of senior-level managers over the next
decade - nearly double the rate for the nation's entire workforce. The
transportation workforce requires a wider range of skills and abilities than in
the past because of changing and expanding agency missions as well as new
technologies; this has coincided with level or decreasing staffing in
transportation agencies. Agencies are significantly under investing in training
their workforces. Organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to
recruit and retain professionals and technicians. Few transportation agencies
are positioning their human resource activities at a strategic level so the
workforce needs described by the organization's strategic plan can be met.
Key issues
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Transportation agencies face an unprecedented level of retirements of
senior-level managers over the next decade - nearly double the rate for the
nation's entire workforce.
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The transportation workforce requires a wider range of skills and abilities
than in the past because of changing and expanding agency missions as well as
new technologies; this has coincided with level or decreasing staffing in
transportation agencies.
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Agencies are significantly under investing in training their workforces.
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Organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain
professionals and technicians.
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Few transportation agencies are positioning their human resource activities at
a strategic level so the workforce needs described by the organization's
strategic plan can be met.
Recommendations
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Transportation agencies at all levels - federal, state and local - in
partnership with the industry, employee organizations, and unions, should
establish training as a key priority.
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Surface transportation agencies should invest more in training than is
currently the case.
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More federal surface transportation program funds should be eligible for use by
state and local transportation agencies for training and education activities.
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USDOT, in partnership with transportation agencies, the private sector,
educational institutions, unions, and employees, should undertake an initiative
that focuses on innovation in human resource practices and addresses
recruitment, training, retention, and succession management for transportation
agency personnel.
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Transportation agencies should partner with universities, community colleges,
training institutes, and the LTAP centers to meet agency training and workforce
development needs.
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Transportation agency leaders should make human resource management a key
strategic function of their agencies.
Information on how to obtain a copy of
the full report may be found at the TRB website, www.trb.org.
The report is available for $23.00 and is listed in the "Special
Reports" section of the TRB Publications Catalog.
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Highway Institure | Office
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Federal Highway Administration |
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Transportation Workforce Development
Office of Professional Development
Federal Highway Administration
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Arlington, VA 22203 USA
(703) 235-0500
1-877-558-6873
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