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COVERAGE OF THE 2018 APTA ANNUAL MEETING
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Attracting and Retaining Tomorrow's Workforce
“No matter what technology you have, if you don’t have the right people it’s all for nothing,” said Bacarra Sanderson Mauldin, member of the APTA Executive Committee and board member of the Birmingham (AL) Regional Paratransit Consortium dba ClasTran, in her opening remarks at the Sept. 24 “Envisioning the Workforce in the Mobility Landscape” session. Her sentiments set the tone for the session: for public transit agencies to serve the public, they first must attract and serve a dedicated workforce.
Paul Comfort, vice president-business development, Trapeze Group, discussed the different generational characteristics of the workforces of today and tomorrow. [Editor’s note: opinions vary as to the dates of the various generations. Scott Zimmer, for example, offers alternatives elsewhere in this issue.] He described Baby Boomers (born following the Second World War—approximately 1946-64) as being motivated by the notions that hard work pays off and of forging a career with one employer; Generation X, born 1965-82, which saw more women enter the workforce and was defined by an entrepreneurial spirit—seeking varied challenges rather than committing to one employer—and desire for a “work/life balance”; Generation Y, or “Millennials,” born 1982-2000, who seek purpose in their work: “Is what I’m doing for my vocation aligned with my avocation, and is what I’m doing for a career helping society?”; and Generation Z, born 2001 to the present, the digital generation, defined by being “always connected.”
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| From left: Brian C. Smith, Paul Comfort, Joanne Peterson, Bacarra Sanderson Mauldin and Ferdinand L. Risco Jr. |
Comfort suggested conveying to Millennials and later generations the “impact” of a career in public transportation—the compelling message that the industry is “work with purpose” that enables the mobility of all facets of society, in particular low-income and vulnerable populations. Public transit agencies also should emphasize the personal development opportunities they offer, as well as the varied roles and career growth available by transitioning easily from one role to another. He said internal communication channels should highlight the ways in which the agency is helping the community, and organizations should make it possible for employees to witness, firsthand, the impact on the community.
Brian C. Smith, chief of staff at Hampton Roads Transit, Hampton, VA, described significant changes affecting the workforce and how power has shifted to the consumer, reflecting his experiences talking to public transit CEOs in light of the new mobility paradigm. The general consensus, he explained, is that members of the public transit workforce must believe in what the industry is doing, see their place within it and feel well-supported in doing it.
Smith explained how an agency’s vision statement is the most important place to convey to prospective employees the importance, value, meaning and impact of the agency. “You can bring the different workforce generations together under your vision; your vision statement is an invitation to be part of a group,” he noted. Smith also expressed the importance of expanding openness to innovation and engaging with employees: “With all innovations, we’re doing this with the workforce, not to them,” he said.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LA Metro) Vision 2028 strategic plan aims to significantly improve and expand mobility options throughout LA County. But while job opportunities in public transportation are increasing, the pool of qualified applicants is not, explained Joanne Peterson, LA Metro’s chief human capital and development officer. The agency is facing a “silver tsunami,” she said, with 69 percent of employees over the age of 40 and 46 percent eligible to retire in the next five years.
The mission of LA Metro’s E3 (Expose, Educate, Employ) initiative is to address the employee shortfall by preparing local youth for career and college pathways in public transportation—the centerpiece of which is a Metro Transportation Boarding School, in partnership with LA County and the SEED Foundation (a nonprofit that runs public boarding schools), that will accommodate 400 youth from grade 9-12.
“We started this initiative to bring to our industry disadvantaged youth and train them to have a meaningful career in transportation,” Peterson said. “This school is built at the intersection of ‘we need a workforce’ and the fact that we have 77,000 homeless youth in LA County.”
Ferdinand L. Risco Jr., vice chair of APTA’s Workforce Development Committee and assistant executive director of the Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY, moderated the session.
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