PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN TRANSIT: NEEDS AND ISSUES

Interest in the development of human resources has recently increased within the transit industry. Concurrently, the number of professional development programs offered by academic institutions has increased as a result of initiatives by UMTA. Some of the issues relating to professional development, based on the experience of the Institute for Urban Transportation at Indiana University, are discussed. The discussion will successively focus on the general concept of employee development, consider the needs for employee development in the transit industry, and explore five important issues that have emerged from the Institute's experience with professional development programs. Employee development is defined as all activities designed to enhance the personal capabilities of individual employees and involves three types of activities: (a) appren ticeship training, (b) continuing education, and (c) professional development. There is an important need for employee development within the transit industry because transit is labor intensive and suffers from high managerial turnover rates. However, employee development has received little attention for a variety of historical, economic, and political reasons. Recent developments suggest that the situation is changing and have resulted in the creation of numerous professional development programs. Five issues related to the design of such programs are discussed: choice of topic, choice of faculty, student mix, overall balance of program, and program logistics. In spite of attendant difficulties, these programs offer a unique opportunity to stimulate exchange among industry professionals and to improve the dialogue between the academic community and the transit industry.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1984/980/980-018.pdf
• Summary URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=PROFESSIONAL+DEVELOPMENT+IN+TRANSIT%3A+NEEDS+AND+ISSUES&author=B.+Hemily&publication_year=1984
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  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/030903762X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Transportation Education and Training.
• Authors:
  • Hemily, Brendon
• Publication Date: 1984

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 118-121
• Monograph Title: Techniques for making key transportation decisions
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 980
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Development; Education; Education and training methods; Human resources management; Management; Motor skills; Professional personnel; Public transit; Training; Transit personnel
• Uncontrolled Terms: Apprenticeship; Human resources
• Old TRIS Terms: Management development
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Education and Training; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00450535
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 030903762X
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 30 1985 12:00AM