Public Transportation Workforce Development: A Survey of Vocational and University Students

Students at three institutions of higher learning in the upper Midwest were surveyed to identify attitudes and behaviors that impact their choice of academic major, internship, and career, as well as perceptions of internships and careers in public transportation, and use of job search methods. Each of the three universities participates in a UPASS program, which allows for fare-free travel by university students, faculty, and staff, in a community with a relatively high level of service. Responses did not vary significantly by major. Fifteen percent of students stated that they are interested in an internship in public transportation, while 34% responded that they didn't know. Students in general did not report strong attitudes about internships or careers in transit. However, for those attributes that they did report strong feelings, the attitudes were negative. Internships in public transportation were not viewed as providing opportunities to apply existing skills or to develop new skills, the top factors that influence internship selection. Students thought that a career in public transportation would be uninteresting, unchallenging intellectually, and would not provide the opportunity to be creative. They also do not believe that a career in transit will provide the opportunity to work with technology, or provide social prestige. These attitudes, with the exception of social prestige, are at odds with many occupations in public transportation. Strategies to address these shortcomings include educating university and vocational students on the industry and career opportunities and working with the broader transportation industry to deal with shared workforce development needs.

• Record URL:
  http://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=661
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute

  Small Urban and Rural Transit Center, North Dakota State University, P.O. Box 6050
  Fargo, ND  United States  58108-6050

  Federal Transit Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Ripplinger, David
  • Hough, Jill
• Publication Date: 2010-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 87p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; College students; Surveys; Transportation careers; Workforce
• Uncontrolled Terms: Internships
• Geographic Terms: Midwestern States
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Transportation (General); I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01454158
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DP-229
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 15 2012 2:01PM