DEVELOPMENT OF PACTRANS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE

Abstract

With the recent emergence of technology and its applications in transportation engineering practice, the demand for continuing education and workforce development is growing. Being the Northwest regional University Transportation Center, PacTrans also carries the task of transportation workforce development for Federal Region 10. To fulfill this task and address regional workforce development challenges, PacTrans has seen a clear need to develop an institute that provides professional training and continuing education for Region 10’s transportation professionals. Bringing together decades of collective experience in educational research and continuing education, the research team established the PacTrans Workforce Development Institute (WDI) to address increasing workforce development needs. Each university offers its own strengths in transportation research and education and thus makes unique and meaningful contributions to this project. Through survey and outreach activities, the research team has identified the gaps between workforce training needs and existing training opportunities and has developed training courses to fill these gaps. To better accommodate working professionals' busy schedules, the PacTrans WDI offers demand-responsive and flexible training services in both on-site and online settings. Specifically, the WDI has developed and delivered several training courses, such as Understanding and Applying the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Incorporating Human Factors into Roadway Design and Crash Diagnostics, Project Management and Key Skill Capability Building, etc. In addition, the WDI is scheduled to deliver several training courses, such as Data Analytics and Tools, Geospatial Analysis for Transportation Planners and Practitioners, and An Introduction to School Zone Safety.