A Framework to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in Workforce Development in Southeast States (Project E5)

A number of national organizations, such as the American Public Transit Association (APTA), have recently started establishing a diversity and inclusion council or committee to draft a policy guide or prepare a strategic plan to address multifaceted equity issues their constituents face. The urgency of addressing equity and inclusion within the workforce became more evident since the Covid-19 pandemic started. Besides, numerous other factors impact the effectiveness of the transportation workforce. For instance, as many transportation workers are retiring, there is a need and opportunity to increase diversity and promote inclusion in training, recruiting, and workforce retention. Building a diverse workforce that reflects communities’ demographics and investing in future generations of transportation professionals are a few steps federal, state, and regional transportation agencies can take to start the journey towards a more diverse and inclusive work environment. Through reviewing the state of practice and identifying future needs, this project will develop a framework for training, recruiting, and retaining workers to promote diversity and enhance inclusion within the transportation workforce. Building on national and regional efforts, the findings of this project will help southeast DOTs, LTAPs, professional organizations, and the private sector to step forward and reaffirm their commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workforce. Transportation scholars and practitioners will also use this project's results to develop professional training workshops centered on equity, diversity, and inclusion within the transportation workforce.

• Record URL:
  https://stride.ce.ufl.edu/stride-project-e5/
• Record URL:
  https://stride.ce.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/153/2023/03/STRIDE-Project-E5-FINAL-.pdf

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $114937
• Contract Numbers:

  69A355174710

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Southeastern Transportation Research, Innovation, Development and Education Center (STRIDE)

  University of Florida
  365 Weil Hall
  Gainesville, FL  United States  32611
• Project Managers:

  Tucker-Thomas, Dawn

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Florida Transportation Institute

  P.O. Box 116580
  Gainesville, FL  United States  32611

  University of Alabama, Birmingham

  1170 Administration Building
  701 20th Street South
  Birmingham, AL  United States  35294

  The Citadel

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  171 Moultrie Street
  Charleston, SC  United States  29409
• Principal Investigators:

  Mohebbi, Mehri

  Sisiopiku, Virginia

  Michalaka, Dimitra

• Start Date: 20210801
• Expected Completion Date: 20220930
• Actual Completion Date: 20230227
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Equity; Recruiting; Training; Transportation careers
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Policy; Society; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01775429
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Southeastern Transportation Research, Innovation, Development and Education Center (STRIDE)
• Contract Numbers: 69A355174710
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jun 25 2021 9:21PM