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Scott Jakovich

April 28th Webinar: Highway Maintenance Degree Program

Front Range Community College (FRCC), in collaboration with highway contractors and state/local agencies including the Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), and National Highway Institute (NHI), have established the nation’s first ever on-line Highway Maintenance Associates Degree. This 2-year program (60 credits across 4 semesters) prepares students for management positions in Highway Maintenance within federal, state, county, and municipal agencies, and highway contractors. Program graduates receive an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Highway Maintenance Management.

Hosted in cooperation with the Southwest Transportation Workforce Center and California LTAP, this hour-long webinar offers a closer look at FRCC’s HMM degree program from a panel of contributing experts that include:

  • Dr. Nicholas Spezza, Dean of Instruction, FRCC
  • Susan Baillargeon, HMM Degree Program Director, FRCC
  • Heather Carlson, Director of the Colorado LTAP
  • Robert McArthur, Adjunct Instructor, FRCC and LTAP
  • Shawn Severin, General Manager & Owner of Loveland Barricade
  • Kevin McVittie, Statewide Technical Training Programs Manager for Colorado DOT
  • Don Strange, Manager, Streets & Code Enforcement Divisions for the City of Highland Village, Colorado

Webinar Date/Time: Thursday April 28th, 2022, 2-3pm Eastern

For More Information: Webinar Flyer, APWA Reporter Article, HMM Curriculum Summary

Webinar Recording: Watch on Youtube

 

Expanding Diversity in the Transportation Workforce

How do we champion women and people of color in the transportation workforce? What opportunities and barriers exist?
Recognizing that fewer than 15% of the 15 million jobs in transportation are held by women, researchers with the Center for Urban Transportation Research (University of South Florida), the Mineta Transportation Institute (San José State University), Tennessee State University, and the Southeast Transportation Workforce Center (University of Memphis), partnered with ITS America, WTS, The Ray, and MobilityXX to conduct a national survey to ask people about their experience in the transportation sector. This survey asks how organizations are promoting diversity, career advancement, and other opportunities to understand how we can grow diversity in the transportation workforce.
 
Please take a few minutes to share your experience!  And, spread the word!  Please forward the survey link below to anyone who may like to participate: https://sjsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8uZZUFa44SCe1sG

Building Bridges of Trust: An Approach to Cultural Transformation

March 17th, 2022 Webinar:

The Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA/PATCO) was engaged in several large, mission-critical projects at a time when morale and trust, both internally and among external stakeholders, were low. They turned to lessons based on the principles of comedy improvisation, such as deep listening, empathy, and collaborative trust. Using a new strategic plan combining the tenets of servant-leadership and the tools of improvisational comedy, DRPA transformed its culture and produced award-winning projects. The Philadelphia Inquirer has the whole story here.

The skill of improvisation is increasingly valued by top executives today because they see in it a tool that enables their companies to be more nimble, flexible, and responsive. Join CEO John Hanson, Director of Strategic Initiatives Christina Maroney, and improvisor Nick Gillette to learn how introducing these essential skills changed the company from the top down. Hosted by the Northeast Transportation Workforce Center.

Webinar Date/Time: Friday March 17th, 2022, 12-1pm Eastern
Webinar Recording: Watch here

T-STEM Webinar Series

Attention K-12 students and teachers (and college students)!

During the 2021-2022 School year, the NNTW hosted six Transportation STEM webinars focused on student career pathways that lead to employment as a transportation industry professional. Presented to students and faculty of K-12 institutions, these webinars offer academic and career-path perspectives from diverse panels of professionals, faculty, and community college, technical school, and university students, with the goal of engaging the audience around the possibilities and opportunities that a career in the transportation sector can offer.

For College and University students:

November 5th, 2021: Flyer and Recorded Session

 

For Community College and Tech School students:

December 3rd, 2021: Flyer and Recorded Session

 

For 6-12 students and teachers:

January 28th, 2022: Flyer and Recorded Session 

February 25th, 2022: Flyer and Recorded session

March 25th, 2022: Flyer and Recorded Session

April 29th, 2022: Flyer and Recorded Session

 

Want to learn more about how the NNTW is working to introduce high school and college students to careers in transportation? Check-out our initiative webpage or reach-out to Dr. Stephanie Ivey, Director of the Southeast Transportation Workforce Center (ssalyers@memphis.edu).

New NNTW Fall 2021 Webinar Series

Join us this Fall for our Wednesdays “Lunch & Learn” series to explore four unique ways in which professional organizations are working together to improve the lives of transportation workers. Download and share our flyer with your network!

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021, 1-2pm Eastern

Growing the Highway Workforce:
A Look at the INDOT BY Roads Program

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation recently launched a cost-free training program that prepares individuals for careers in the highway and roads construction industry. The 11-week BY Roads program utilizes a nationally recognized construction curriculum and provides students with an opportunity to learn directly from industry professionals and to be placed into high-paying jobs in highway construction. Students completing BY Roads earn certifications in NCCER Core and OSHA-10 while receiving hands-on training in highway construction safety, heavy equipment identification, excavation math, crane safety, and emergency procedures.

INDOT is offering BY Roads free to eligible students and is working to eliminate traditional barriers to attendance like childcare and transportation as a way of attracting a more diverse group of students. BY Roads completed its first class this summer and plans to expand the program for the fall.

Panelists:

David Dalton, Dir Workforce Development, Indiana Department of Transportation
Chris Price, President, Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation

Watch the recorded session at: http://netwc.net/growing-the-highway-workforce/

Wednesday November 17th, 2021, 1-2pm Eastern

Mobility & Equity in Indian Country:
The Future of Tribal Technical Assistance

Since 1991, the Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP) has worked to build professional capacity within federally recognized Tribes to support the management of their transportation assets. In December 2019, funding for the nation’s seven TTAP centers was suspended pending a re-evaluation of the program’s ability to deliver workforce training and technical assistance in a regionally significant and impactful way. Join members of the TRB Standing Committee on Native American Transportation Issues and the National Indian Justice Center to explore why engaging and developing the Tribal workforce is critical to maintaining the nation’s rural transportation infrastructure and how the future of Tribal technical assistance is key to achieving that goal.

Panelists:

Dr. Tyler Reeb, Host, Mobility Matters Podcast
Raquelle Myers, Executive Director, National Indian Justice Center
Ron Hall, TRB Standing Committee Native American Transportation Issues
Cameron Ishaq, FHWA Special Liaison, LTAP/TTAP Initiatives

Watch the recorded session

Wednesday, December 1st, 2021, 1-2pm Eastern

Teamwork & Coordination of Rapid Infrastructure Repair:
A Case Study of the Hernando-Desoto Bridge

On May 11, 2021, the Hernando-Desoto Bridge in Memphis was closed after a routine inspection found a structural crack. Being one of only two Mississippi River crossings that serve one of the nation’s major east- west transportation corridors, closing this bridge for repair meant redirecting I-40 traffic (60,000 vehicles per day) over to the I-55 bridge which was already operating near capacity. The result: extreme congestion and multi-hour traffic delays for travelers and a major hit to the nation’s supply chain. With trucking at times representing almost 50% of bridge traffic and barge traffic relying on waterway access beneath the bridge, the closure resulted in a disruption of freight movement that could be felt across the country.

This webinar highlights the teamwork, coordination, and contributions of the various professional agencies that worked together to repair and reopen the Hernando-Desoto Bridge in record time.

Featured Speakers:

Brad Freeze, PE, Director, Traffic Operations Division, TDOT
Michael Welch, PE, Regional Director of Operations, TDOT
Steve Frisbee, PE, Assistant Chief Engineer, Operations, ARDOT
(additional panelists to be announced)

Watch the recorded session at: https://tinyurl.com/fcx8t6y4

Wednesday, December 15th, 2021, 1-2pm Eastern

Improving the Road Safety Workforce:
The Road Safety Champion Program

Safety is everyone’s job, but it can be difficult to find structured training curricula that meet the diverse needs of transportation agency staff with varied responsibilities for the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of safe local roadways. Whether you are a training provider or a transportation organization manager or practitioner, this webinar is for you. Webinar speakers will share information about the Road Safety Champion Program (RSCP), a training curriculum and nationally recognized certificate program that can be implemented by employers and training providers to incentivize safety competency attainment.

Webinar participants will learn about training content, how to access pre-packaged training materials that can be offered in-person or remotely, and about the Virginia Local Technical Assistance Program’s pilot of the first local RSCP roll out in Virginia.

Panelists:

Susan Gallagher, Director, West Region Transportation Workforce Center
Jaime Sullivan, Director, National Center for Rural Road Safety
Beth O’Donnell, Director, UVA Transportation Training Academy

Watch the recorded session at: https://tinyurl.com/2p956c6r

California Clean Air Day Microgrants

A project of the Coalition for Clean Air, the California Clean Air Day initiative is built on the idea that shared experiences unite people to action to improve community health. By joining together for a unified day of action this October 6th, Californians can begin to create new habits to clear the air for all members of our diverse communities.

To raise awareness of local and regional air quality issues, grant funding of up to $1,000 is now available to groups and organizations to help make California Clean Air Day a state-wide success. These microgrants are intended to fund local activities, events, or projects that contribute to cleaning the air, encourage participants to take actions that will clean the air, and successfully engage at least 100 participants.

Examples of local projects could include educational events, art contests, tree plantings, no idling campaigns, bike rides, transit appreciate days and more. Awarded funds can be used for supplies, giveaways mailed or picked up, postage, marketing expenses, etc.

To be eligible for funding, the local project must occur on or within the week of California Clean Air Day on October 6, 2021. Interested parties are encouraged to check-out the program’s full eligibility requirements and complete a grant application by the August 6th submission deadline.