News

The NNTW team and regional workforce centers recently completed the National Transportation Career Pathways Initiative (NTCPI). The strategic initiative established a set of five transportation discipline-focused career pathways that will be deployed within post-secondary education/training institutions nationwide, in order to begin the development of forward-looking, technology-infused workforce pipelines that would lead students and job seekers into critical occupations within the highway transportation sector.

The Southwest Transportation Workforce Center (SWTWC) has teamed up with Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC) to create and offer a pilot transportation planning curriculum to demonstrate how students can use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as an entry to transportation planning career pathways where none formally existed. This pilot is being funded through a grant to the SWTWC-led NNTW in partnership with LATTC and Trade Tech’s Transportation Workforce Institute (TWI). The program is called ARC 341: GIS Metropolitan Access Planning Systems, is offered as part of a for-credit LATTC course.

“This course is designed to empower underrepresented and disadvantaged populations by demonstrating the viability of career pathways between two and four-year institutions in the area of transportation planning,” said SWTWC Director Thomas O’Brien. “While most 4-year planning programs teach GIS to transportation students, we want to teach transportation to GIS students as a way to raise awareness of GIS application and its relevance in transportation related careers.”

The LATTC pilot course also extends opportunities to K-12 students through the college’s dual enrollment program. “By linking this course to both K-12 and college students, we are able to create a complete career pathway for students across the academic continuum,” O’Brien added.

“Students interested in learning about GIS can gain a valuable skillset from this course and apply it to their future career, whether it be in urban planning, transportation planning, or any other related field,” said TWI Director Jess Guerra.

GIS Pilot Course Classroom Activity

Geographic Information Systems manage and analyze spatial data and are valuable tools in addressing various real-world problems that have a spatial component. This course introduces students to fundamental principles and concepts that reinforce the practice of geographic analysis with GIS, including: computer representation of geographic data, vector and raster data models, map projections, coordinate systems, spatial analysis, and map design. After completing this course, students will be able to apply their knowledge and skills to perform real-world tasks and solve problems.

The spring 2018 course started on February 24, 2018 and will run through the end of May. Students who complete the course will earn transferable credits to UC and CSU schools.

LATTC’s mission is developing local employment opportunities for diverse and underrepresented Los Angeles populations and advancing communities through academic, career, and transfer pathway successes. LATTC achieves this mission through its career-technical and professional education programs.

Part I: July 13, 2018, noon-1pm ET

Avoiding Brain Drain in Transportation Organizations

Leaning Forward: Knowledge and Information Management for a Nimble Organization

– Leni Oman, Washington State Depart. of Transportation

This presentation highlights WSDOT’s approach to understanding business needs, establishing a foundation for execution, and strengthening the learning culture.

Capturing and Learning Essential Consultant-Developed Knowledge within Departments of Transportation

– Frances Harrison, Spy Pond Partners, LLC This presentation highlights a recent NCHRP study that developed guidance on assessing risks and establishing knowledge capture procedures when using consultants

Part II: August 8, 2018, noon – 1pm ET

Avoiding Brain Drain in Transportation Organizations

Anticipatory Knowledge

 – Donna Cuomo, MITRE Corporation

An overview of MITRE’s approach to anticipating the knowledge and process needs of employees – and delivering the right information at the right time.

Guidance for Development and Management of Sustainable Information Portals

– Benjamin Pecheux, Applied Engineering Management Corporation

This presentation summarizes a recent NCHRP study that created a guide for development and management of effective DOT enterprise information portals (EIPs). 

Using a combination of online courses and a comprehensive process for granting credit for prior learning, the nation’s first associate degree in Highway Maintenance Management will soon be available to students across the country.

Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Front Range Community College (FRCC) have teamed up to develop the first-in-the-nation two-year Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Highway Maintenance Management degree program. This program is designed to help employees meet the demands of the future while earning post-secondary credentials. The AAS degree, which is scheduled to begin in January 2019, is geared for highway maintenance supervisors and those wishing to advance in the organization or to be better prepared for supervisory positions.

Robert McArthur, Douglas County Public Works Department and Colorado Local Technical Assistance Program Roadmaster, observes that “It has become significantly apparent that the need to streamline Highway Maintenance Management training is long overdue. From the beginning it was clear that this AAS degree program is the opportunity to funnel appropriate education and technical industry training through a single portal, setting the stage for combining practical experience with standardized management instruction, offered online nationwide.”

Although initiated by CDOT’s Division of Highway Maintenance, the program has been crafted with input from members of the American Public Works Association (Colorado Chapter), leadership from the Colorado Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), and leaders from a variety of local Colorado public works agencies. The AAS degree is relevant to state, county, and municipal public works agencies as well as public sector companies involved in the maintenance of roads and bridges.

Demand for this degree is expected to be high. To give an idea of the potential within the state, there are approximately 8,000 public works employees responsible for road and bridge maintenance across all municipalities. If just 1% of incumbent workers were to enroll in the program, that would equate to 80 students from this state alone. Realistically, it is predicted that 5% or more will enroll in the Highway Maintenance Management degree program eventually, equating to 400 students. This does not even take into account young recruits or interest from other states.

The AAS degree features general education and management courses, as well as required and elective highway maintenance and operations courses. All the required General Education and Management courses will be available online, providing the flexibility of learning anywhere, any time, and any place. Because all the required General Education and Management courses are online and the required highway maintenance credits are earned through industry-provided training and certifications, participants can come from any corner of Colorado as well as the nation to enroll in and complete the AAS in Highway Maintenance Management program at FRCC. Participants will also have the option to complete the courses at one of FRCC’s campuses located in three counties in Colorado.

All the required and elective highway maintenance credits are earned through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). PLA is the process for evaluating knowledge and skills to award college credit for learning from (1) work experience; (2) training courses and/or certifications; (3) on-the-job training; (4) military training and voluntary service; and (5) independent study. PLA credit can be earned by passing a knowledge examination (challenge test), demonstrating a skill, and/or providing satisfactory documentation from a recognized industry partner and/or subject matter expert. Demonstrated evidence of mastery of knowledge and skills is needed to earn PLA credit. PLA credit can account for up to 45 of the required 60 credit hours for graduation.

FRCC will be evaluating industry-provided training and certifications to determine how well they match the learning objectives of the required and elective highway maintenance courses. Industry-provided training and certifications that sufficiently meet course learning objectives may lead to academic credit for a course. A few of the key industry partners providing relevant training and certifications that may earn credit toward the AAS degree include American Public Works Association, Local Technical Assistance Programs (LTAP), and the National Highway Institute (Federal Highway Administration).

Renee Railsback, Director of Colorado Local Technical Assistance Program, states that “Colorado LTAP is excited for local agency employees that may not have previously attended college to finally have this opportunity to get a leg up in the industry. Two great examples of possible PLA credit could be from completing APWA’s Public Works Institute (PWI) or LTAP’s Roads Scholar programs. APWA and LTAP are working with FRCC on requirements for accepting credit from graduates of these training programs.”

Jean Runyon, Ph.D., Vice President of Front Range Community College-Larimer Campus, notes that “As outlined in our College’s mission statement, ‘We will be recognized for our singular focus on student success, our exceptional teaching, our strong commitment to diverse learners and communities, and our effective business and community partnerships.’ This partnership with CDOT and the Colorado public works industry demonstrates our commitment to strong partnerships to ensure that individuals have the skills that will help them build successful careers and successful communities.”

For more information on the AAS in Highway Maintenance Management at FRCC, please contact Jean Runyon, Campus Vice President, Front Range Community College (Jean.Runyon@frontrange.edu) or Paul Woods, Colorado Department of Transportation (2paulwoods@msn.com). The draft curriculum may be downloaded here.