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. 

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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
Eric Fisher, By Roads Program Instructor

Register at: https://tinyurl.com/4s6nruhf

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

Register at: https://tinyurl.com/2y74dxfa

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)

Register at: https://bit.ly/3ik6Xv1

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

Register at: https://conta.cc/39CuFxq