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The Source for Public Transportation News and Analysis February 22, 2013
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APTA Launches Early Career Program

APTA has announced the launch of its newest professional development program: the year-long Early Career Program, designed for rising public and private sector members of the public transportation industry.

This new program is the direct result of studies identifying this early career population as one of the most vulnerable to leave the public transit industry. The program arises from initiatives proposed by the Workforce Development Task Force, led by APTA Chair Flora Castillo.

The Early Career Program aims to broaden awareness of the breadth and depth of the public transit industry. It is designed for those with three to five years of work experience, including one to two years in management.

Participants will attend customized workshops, site visits, and virtual sessions to sharpen their skills as new managers in areas including communications, budgeting, project and program management, and supervision. A hallmark of the Early Career Program will be an industry mentoring program.

Castillo listed ways in which the Early Career Program curriculum differs from other educational efforts.

“Participants can learn the ‘bigger picture’ of the public transportation industry: public and private sectors; industry partners—federal, regional, municipal; the roles of business community, academic institutions, and many others,” she said. “They will come to understand and appreciate the industry’s overarching components: its many successes, challenges, people, and opportunities. They will develop the knowledge, skills, and insights industry general managers, CEOs, and executive leaders are looking for when identifying up-and-comers within and for their organizations. They will leverage the benefits of working with national and local industry mentors to learn the industry and benefit from feedback and advice regarding work and career planning. And they will build their networks with industry leaders and experts as well as other promising early career individuals.”

The year-long program is scheduled to include these components:

* Opening Session. Participants will engage in a three-and-a-half day workshop session just prior to the 2013 APTA Rail Conference in Philadelphia. Workshop topics will include goal-setting, communications skills, project and people management, administration (finance and budgets), career development, and other areas, plus roundtable discussions addressing public transit industry challenges and related topics. Program participants will meet their mentors, engage in dialogues with industry leadership, and benefit from customized industry tours.

* Mentor Program. Mentoring will be the hallmark of this program. Working in small groups, mentors and mentees will communicate regularly over a 10-month period, discussing assigned industry topics and challenges as well as career advancement needs and issues identified by early career individuals.

* Virtual Learning. This program will leverage a range of technology tools and social media resources. Participants will demonstrate their lessons learned and experiences by leading two to three webinars over the course of the year. They will maximize online collaboration sites and the power of social media for class members to engage and communicate with each other, their mentors, and industry peers, leaders, and experts.

* Capstone Session and Graduation. Program participants and mentors will meet for three to four days immediately preceding the 2014 APTA Bus and Paratransit Conference in Kansas City, MO. Class member presentations, additional skill-building workshops and training sessions, roundtable forums, site tours, and a high profile graduation ceremony will bring the year-long program to a formal close.

Applications for the Early Career Program are due by March 22. APTA plans to select 25 participants representing the diversity of the industry.

Further details, including planned curricula, sessions, mentor program, fees, and application requirements, can be found here. Questions may be addressed to Joe Niegoski.

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