In honor of National Apprenticeship Day, APTA is spotlighting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Elevators & Escalators Apprenticeship Program at New York City Transit (NYCT). With a dedicated team of 400 employees maintaining over 600 pieces of equipment, MTA’s program is an outstanding example of how to grow and sustain a skilled workforce.

This episode of The Transit Authority podcast to features:

• Assistant Chief, Damion Thomas, who began his career as an elevator and escalator apprentice and shares his journey;
• Supervisor (Lisette), maintainer (Robert), and an apprentice (Singh) to share their career journey ;
• Chief, Stephen Carson, who outlines the steps to launch an apprenticeship program, which include:
  • Conducting a needs assessment to identify the skills your organization requires.
  • Building relationships with local and state government officials to align with labor laws and codes.
  • Embedding mentorship into the program by pairing apprentices with maintainers, supervisors, and other seasoned professionals.

APTA is celebrating National Internship Awareness Month by featuring HNTB’s successful program. If you are ready to learn more about a strategic approach to organically recruit the next generation of talent, while engaging your staff in fulfilling work, tune into this episode of APTA’s official podcast, The Transit Authority!

HNTB interns are assigned to real projects with tasks to develop their technical skills, while expanding their industry knowledge and growing their professional network. The projects provide interns with the experience they need to get hired. Taking this approach has allowed HNTB to grow the program to include 569 interns to work, learn, and grow at the firm. Dive into the framework of innovative solutions and best practices with Yvonne Lopez-Diaz, Amanda Bergmann, Lauren Le Pere, Steve Flormann, and former intern Giovanna Angiolini who is now an HNTB newly hired employee. The team shares from each of their perspectives to tap us into the secrets of a best-in-class internship program

If you have a workforce success story to share, email our team at [email protected] today!

In this episode of APTA’s National Mentoring Month podcast series, we are featuring four CEOs who will tap you into the business case for mentoring. This episode of The Transit Authority shares why CEOs invest in mentorship as an effective strategy to build a culture of organizational excellence and develop employees. To learn more about mentorship programs and determine if this is a smart investment for your organization, tune in to hear from:

• India L. Birdsong Terry, General Manager & CEO, Greater Cleveland RTA
• Laura Hendricks, CEO, Transdev USA
• Theo Richards, CEO, Capital Area Transit System (CATS)
• Kristin Warsinski, CEO, Riverside Transit Agency 

During National Mentoring Month we are sharing more about how mentors encourage mentees to develop leadership competencies and build upon their current strengths to flourish in their career and in life.

APTA’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) provides public transportation professionals with the skills, knowledge, and networks needed for advancement. Tune into this episode to hear the stories of mentorship as a proven benefit for ELP mentees and mentors. 

APTA’s National Mentoring Month podcast series features leaders, mentors, and mentees across the nation and in Canada. This episode’s podcast guests all agree that mentors help to open doors and assist mentees in navigating the changing expectations and skills required to succeed in the industry. Organizations can retain staff by investing in workforce programs like mentoring. If your organization is ready to launch a program, Latinos In Transit (LIT) has a guide available for you to take the first steps (Mentor Program Guide), the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) has a proven model you can follow, and APTA provides the path for the next generation of leaders to gain access to national mentors in the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP). Part I of this podcast series has information that can help your organization tap into a mentoring as a workforce strategy. 

In providing multimodal services throughout America's most densely-populated state, NJ TRANSIT has made it a mission to address vital economic, social, and environmental goals through the public transportation it operates.  In this episode of APTA's THE TRANSIT AUTHORITY podcast, NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett offers insight into evolving travel patterns, the large and nationally significant capital program NJ TRANSIT is implementing, providing mobility for the 2026 World Cup finals, and keeping a large transit system resilient in an era of extreme weather. 

Join our guests to Learn about workforce funding opportunities. Experts from the U.S. Department of Transportation share how to obtain funding for workforce initiatives.   

Speakers:

• Mark Patterson, Associate Administrator for Research, Data, and Innovation, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation
• John Bodnar, Director, Office of Transit Programs, Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation
• Paige Shevlin, Strategic Advisor for Infrastructure Workforce Development, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation

This podcast explores the transformative influence of women in executive leadership. Hear about the multifaceted ways in which female leaders are shaping the landscape of transit and fostering positive change within their organizations and communities.

Host:

• Dawn Distler, Chief Executive Officer, METRO Regional Transit Authority

Guests:

• Nadine Lee, President & CEO, Dallas Area Rapid Transit
• Erin Rogers, CEO and General Manager, Omnitrans
• MJ Maynard, Vice Chair, APTA Board of Directors; and Chief Executive Officer, RTC Southern Nevada
• Charlotte Shaw, Executive Director/CEO, Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (MAX)

APTA interviews Christof Spieler on his book “Trains / Buses / People:   An Opinionated Atlas of US and Canadian Transit – Second Edition.”    The discussion goes into depth on the attributes of good public transportation, taking a close look at systems across North America.  Factors such as frequency, reliability, access, and legibility are considered, identifying ways transit service is doing well, along with ways it sometimes comes up short.

The Transit Authority is proud to present part-two of series with tools to help you retain and engage staff.

In this episode you’ll hear from Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority General Manager and CEO, India Birdsong-Terry and her team about their peer-to-peer mentoring program. Tune in to learn more about how their team partners with ATU to build and manage the program. 

Part II – Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA)

 NOTE:  Listen to Part I with Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA).