The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) is the national leader in providing technical assistance for ZEB deployments, guiding transit agencies through battery-electric and fuel-cell electric bus deployment projects while minimizing project risks. We have assisted nearly 100 transit agencies to deploy or soon deploy more than 700 zero-emission buses and the necessary charging and hydrogen infrastructure to fuel them. CTE supports end-users, educates the industry, and eliminates barriers to zero-emission vehicle commercialization.

Workforce training and skill development for these new technologies are essential components of successful technology deployment. Over the past year, CTE has developed a Workforce Development Planning methodology that helps fleets understand when and how to modify their current training protocols to upskill for new ZEB expertise. The methodology includes (1) a custom assessment of the fleet's current training methods and resources, (2) a training plan that correlates the portion of the fleet that is zero-emission with the number and skill level of needed technicians, and (3) a skills gap analysis that specifies training needed to upskill workers.

In 2022-2023, CTE partnered with Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority (CCRTA) to evaluate the impact of fleet electrification on CCRTA's current workforce and produce a tailored action plan to address their long-term workforce development needs. CTE's Workforce Development Planning methodology guided that project in the following ways.

Existing Conditions Assessment for Workforce Transition

CTE assessed workforce skills across relevant departments in the context of the defined phases of the agency's ZEB transition.

CTE began its analysis by conducting background research on the state of CCRTA's staff training through an existing conditions assessment and agency interviews. This assessment established current CCRTA staff structure and skills, including understanding the mechanic training program, job descriptions, and responsibilities of staff. CCRTA had 24 maintenance staff and 163 operator staff for their fleet of 70 buses and 23 cutaways. Their existing training methods included OEM class sessions (remote/online), mentorship, and job logs. Staff training was categorized into departmental skills matrices and skills maps. CTE initiated a literature review of prominent workforce development materials such as transit agency case study briefings to understand best practices for transition training as well as other first responder, facility, maintenance, and operations staff resources including standards from ASE and APTA.

Training Analysis

CTE developed models to help the agency understand how to implement workforce training needs.

Using CCRTA's ZEB procurement schedule, CTE created a training plan that synchronizes ZEB procurement to staff readiness levels. The training analysis identified the skills required to plan for, procure, operate, and maintain zero-emission vehicles and associated infrastructure across all levels and major functions of the organization.

As CCRTA procures more ZEBs, their staff expertise will grow to accommodate the additional vehicles. CTE's assessment also identified the tools needed to achieve the recommended training levels and learning objectives to ensure staff is fully equipped to transition to zero-emission.

CTE built a phased approach to develop CCRTA's workforce that divided all staff into Champions, Hands-On, and Support categories. In every phase, ZEB Champions were pinpointed as individuals who would pioneer the latest technologies by acquiring new skills while serving as valuable knowledge-holders and enthusiastic advocates for all staff. Hands-On Staff are engaged in direct ZEB interaction as a routine aspect of their roles, spanning maintenance personnel, operators, and facility staff. ZEB Support Staff are employees in non-hands-on sectors, but who still experience the influence of the ZEB transition, including departments like IT, finance, and planning.

Skill Gap Analysis

CTE compared the existing skills of the maintenance staff against the skills required to maintain ZEBs and defined where skills were missing.

By comparing CCRTA's existing workforce readiness with the skills required for the ZEB transition, CTE was able to identify potential skill gaps and suggest strategies for training current employees in these areas. CTE provided CCRTA with a maintenance skill matrix that marries the phased approach described above with actual technical skills required to be at a given training level. The skills matrix serves as a single resource of information for all maintenance staff to understand and learn from. The skill gap analysis follows FTA's guidance to ensure the transition to ZEBs does not displace the current workforce.

CTE's effort culminated in a workshop to review the training requirements for the fleet transition. The workshop's goals included confirming the baseline of current training programs, identifying current skills and skill gaps, analyzing phased skills transition, and establishing best practices for ZEB transition training elements.

CTE's Workforce Development Planning methodology is a key tool the non-profit offers to transit agencies to instill confidence to deploy zero-emission technologies.