Link to Recording: Developing the Transportation Talent Pipeline
Unfilled jobs hurt the competitive position of our businesses and our nation. This discussion will help leaders from business and industry, economic development, education, and workforce development learn about proven strategies for enhancing employer competitiveness and profitability through improved access to skilled workers.
Moderated and facilitated by Teresa Adams, Director, Midwest Transportation Workforce Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- Why Must Industry Lead and How They Can Do It
Michael Baker, Manager Strategic Planning & Innovation, Illinois Department of Commerce - Strategies for Effective Business Engagement
Trina Whatley, Business Relations Specialist, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership - Expanding Employer Leadership in Managing the Talent Pipeline
Jason Tyszko, Executive Director, Center for Education and Workforce, US Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Sponsored by the Transportation Research Board Education and Training (ABG20) Committee and the National Network for the Transportation Workforce (NNTW).
Hosted by the Midwest Transportation Workforce Center (MTWC), one five USDOT-funded regional transportation workforce centers in the United States.
About the Speakers
Teresa Adams is a Professor of Transportation Engineering and City Planning in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and is Executive Director and Principal Investigator of the National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE). She is also the principal investigator for the Mid-America Freight Coalition (MAFC) and Midwest Transportation Workforce Center (MTWC). Dr. Adams has more than twenty-five years of research experience and is an expert in freight policy research. Dr. Adams also led the 21st Century Workforce Development Summit, an effort funded by Wisconsin DOT, one in a series of regional summits used to identify needs, set goals, strategies, and best practices across various transportation career paths. The regional summits culminated in the National Transportation Workforce Summit, which Dr. Adams also co-led in the spring of 2012 in Washington, DC. Adams is also Chair of the Transportation Management and Policy graduate certificate program and a faculty affiliate of the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. Adams holds a PhD and MS in civil engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a BS in civil engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
Michael Baker is Manager-Strategic Planning & Innovation with the Illinois Department of Commerce. Baker began his career in Illinois government in 1989 serving as committee staff for the State Senate. In 1995 he moved to the Illinois Office of Comptroller as Deputy Director of Administrative Services & Budget/Chief Fiscal Officer. With the Department of Commerce since 2001, his efforts are focused on: statewide strategic planning; state and regional sector strategies; and workforce innovation initiatives in the Office of Employment and Training. He also serves as the statewide project director of the Accelerated Training for Illinois Manufacturing initiative supported by the national Workforce Innovation Fund. Baker has a MPA from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and a BS in Secondary Education with a concentration in social studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Jason A. Tyszko is Executive Director, Center for Education and Workforce at the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation where he advances policies and programs that preserve America’s competitiveness and enhance the career readiness of youth and adult learners. This includes launching the Talent Pipeline Management initiative, the Foundation’s signature workforce development strategy. Tyszko’s prior experience focused on coordinating interagency education, workforce, and economic development initiatives. In 2009, he served as a policy adviser to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s administration. In addition, Tyszko was deputy chief of staff and senior policy adviser to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Tyszko received his MA from the University of Chicago and his BA from DePaul University. He is a certified teacher in the state of Illinois.
Trina P. Whatley is a Business Relations Specialist at the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership. The Partnership comprises the second largest Workforce Investment Area in the country. She is responsible for utilizing sector-focused workforce development strategies to assist businesses with meeting their employment needs. She is a member of Olive Harvey College’s Transportation Distribution and Logistics Advisory Council, the Illinois Coalition for Women in Construction, a newly formed initiative of Chicago Women in Trades, and the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals. Prior to joining The Partnership Ms. Whatley served as the Director of Workforce Development at the Chicago Urban League, and Program Director at Jobs for Youth Chicago. During her tenure at JFY, they were nationally recognized by the National Youth Employment Coalition, as one of only four organizations in the country utilizing best practices in youth workforce development, receiving their coveted PEPNet award. Ms. Whatley also has previous experience as a Project Manager at Chicago Women’s AIDS Project, and as a Sr. Merchandise Manager/Buyer at JC Penney, Co., Inc. where she was awarded the James Cash Penney Award for community service. Ms. Whatley holds a BBA from James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va., and a certification in Advancing Youth Development.
About the Sponsors
The TRB Transportation Education and Training Committee (ABG20) addresses transportation education (Pre-12, community college, undergraduate and graduate) and training (spanning entrants to transportation positions and seasoned professionals). This webinar is an example of our outreach. Other committee-sponsored webinars can be found here.
The Midwest Transportation Workforce Center (MTWC) is a regional surface transportation workforce center funded by the US Department of Transportation (US DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The MTWC is located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and led by Dr. Teresa Adams and affiliated with the National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE).
The National Network for the Transportation Workforce (NNTW) consists of five FHWA-funded Regional Transportation Workforce Centers that work together to provide a more strategic and efficient approach to transportation workforce development. The Centers will act together to facilitate national partnerships with key public and private organizations throughout the transportation, education, labor, and workforce investment communities to identify and promote effective transportation workforce activities and programs.