News Release

Printer-Friendly Version

ETA News Release: [10/17/2005]
Contact Name: David James or Mike Volpe
Phone Number: 202-693-4676 or x3984
Release Number: 05-1854-NAT

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Announces More than $3.7 Million to Train Transportation Industry Workers

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced two grants totaling more than $3.7 million to help address workforce shortages in the transportation industry as part of the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative. The grants were awarded to Community Transportation Development Center (CTDC) near Washington, D.C., and Atlanta-based United Parcel Service of America (UPS), and are the first in a series of investments resulting from long-standing consultations between transportation industry leaders and the Department of Labor.

“The transportation sector offers many good-paying job opportunities for workers with the right skills,” said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “This grant under the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative offers workers apprenticeships and training opportunities to acquire the necessary skills to build long-term careers in the transportation industry.”

CTDC will use $2 million in funding to address the need for a pipeline of skilled workers in Georgia, Oregon, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, and the Washington, D.C. area of Maryland. Systems will be created for apprenticeship, training and skill certification for bus mechanics; rail mechanics; rail signal maintainers; elevator/escalator technicians; and equipment maintainers. As a result, a national apprenticeship system for bus mechanics will be created, and 3,338 individuals will begin to receive transit maintenance training based on national standards developed through the initiative.

UPS, which has been awarded $1,789,970, will develop and implement a competency-based training program for driver service providers to help address the transportation industry's need for entry-level workers. The program will include Web-based courses, facilitator-led workshops and computer-based driving simulation. As a result of this project, a comprehensive program for driver service providers will train approximately 10,000 individuals.

Grantees and their multiple partners will contribute more than $49.5 million in their own leveraged resources to carry out these projects.

“Strong transportation links are critical to effectively managing the supply chain of goods moving through the global economy,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. “These initial investments being made under this initiative use multiple training strategies along with high-tech training tools to reach new audiences interested in pursuing careers in transportation.”

For further information on this initiative, visit www.doleta.gov/BRG/JobTrainInitiative/.