BUILDING PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY IN ITS: AN ASSESSMENT OF ITS TRAINING AND EDUCATION NEEDS: THE TRANSIT PERSPECTIVE

If there are to be successful deployments of new technologies by transit operators, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recognizes a great need exists for further professional development. This consists of enhancing the knowledge and skills base of individuals who are employed by transit agencies, contractors, consultants and vendors, and students and recent graduates of university and vocational school programs. At the request of the FTA, the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center initiated a needs assessment. This research coincided with a much larger effort sponsored by the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Joint Planning Office (JPO) on professional capacity building needs. The focus of the needs assessment has been on developing a set of recommendations for guiding FTA initiatives for enhancing or expanding the Professional Capacity Building (PCB) program. Approximately 70 on-site interviews were conducted with employees of transit properties in five metropolitan areas, and with FTA Regional ITS specialists. Approximately 130 more interviews were conducted with individuals employed in the regional or district offices of the Federal Highway Administration, and by state departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, and city and county public works and transportation departments. Based on the research that was conducted, the following conclusions were reached: (1) Members of the transit community are calling for targeted, tailored, and accessible resources. These must be available on-demand, just-in-time learning/problem-solving resources, which can overcome time and budget constraints. (2) Transit agencies must make staff training and development of professional ITS expertise a priority in their agency budgets. (3) There are at least three options for satisfying these requirements, including an expansion of the PCB program role, enhancement of the FTA regional specialist's role, and alternative delivery options for needed technical assistance and training. (4) The challenge is to develop accessible information and delivery methods that provide the necessary competencies to support PCB requirements. (5) The PCB program is encouraged to expand and enhance current training, develop a program to create a Virtual Learning Environment, and enhance and target activities with partners.