ITS in Academics

ITS Community College Workshop #1
September 20-21, 2017 | ITS America Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Day 1 Presentation | September 20, 2017

National Operations Center of Excellence

Presenter: Steve Lavrenz
Presenter’s Org: National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)

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The slides in this presentation include the NOCoE logo.

Slide 1: National Operations Center of Excellence

Patrick Son, P.E.
Managing Director

Steven Lavrenz, Ph.D.
Technical Services Manager

[This slide contains three photos: (1) a large room full of event attendees, (2) a speaker writing on an easel, and (3) event attendees sitting in a smaller venue.]

Slide 2: Our Vision & Mission

• Vision: Provide exceptional services to the transportation systems management and operations (TSM&O) community to save lives, reduce congestion, and enhance economic vitality
• Mission: Empower the TSM&O community to succeed by enhancing knowledge, skills, and abilities

Slide 3: Genesis of the Summit

• Workforce capabilities are recognized as an increasingly crucial component of realizing the potential of new ITS technology and TSMO applications
• September 2015: NOCoE charged with focusing on TSMO workforce development as the centerpiece of its first strategic work program and Annual summit

Slide 4: Current State of the Industry

Three White Papers in advance of the Summit addressed the following areas:

• Institutional context for TSMO in transportation agencies
• Professional Capacity Building Needs vs. Available Resources
• Recruitment, Retention and Career Development

Slide 5: Issues for the Summit to Address

Competencies, Education and Training:

1. Pre-employment education aimed at producing TSMO generalists
2. Pre-employment education aimed at producing key TSMO-related technical specialists
3. Position and qualifications specifications (KSAs)
4. Employment training programs

Recruitment, Retention and Career Development:

5. Keeping pace with emerging trends in technology/skills
6. Recruitment
7. Career development
8. Retaining top performers

Slide 6: TSMO Workforce Implementation Plan

• Develop a repository of Position Descriptions, KSA and Best Practices for TSMO workforce recruitment, retention and career development
• Pre-employment education aimed at producing both TSMO generalists and specialists with key support capabilities
• Post-hiring education aimed at producing TSMO professionals with key support capabilities
• Develop a strategy to elevate TSMO as a core transportation function (Institutionalization of TSMO)

Slide 7: TSMO Workforce Implementation Plan

NCHRP 20-7 Project 408

• Transportation System Management and Operations (TSMO) Workforce: Skills, Positions, Recruitment, Retention, and Career Development
• Panel selected consultant in July, work scheduled to start soon
• 15 month project, completion fall 2018
• Project Scope
  • Existing education programs and best practices for recruiting & retention
  • Position descriptions
  • KSA development
  • Strategic Management Framework for recruitment & retention
  • TSMO Workforce Guidebook

Slide 8: TSMO Workforce Implementation Plan

Pre-employment education aimed at producing both TSMO generalists and specialists with key support capabilities

• Convene a forum of transportation agencies, private sector and educators
  • What are the key constraints facing educators in offering TSMO related material and successes in overcoming
  • What has been the experience of university-based entities providing technical support to DOTs?
  • Identify key opportunities for community college, undergraduate and graduate professional education to support content both for TSMO generalists (interdisciplinary) and TSM&O-related specialist disciplines
  • Identify pilot efforts that NOCoE engage in to support and promote examples of effective per-employment/hiring TSMO education and training
• November 8^th: VTTI, Cal Berkeley/PATH, Florida International, U of M, South Florida, Washtenaw Community College, University of Memphis & Oregon State as participants

Slide 9: TSMO Workforce Implementation Plan

• Post-hiring education for producing TSMO Professionals
  • Review current practices for TSMO training
  • Define an appropriate training “program” and identify elements for all KSAs for both hard and soft skills
  • Inventory and create a repository in the NOCOE EKTS for all existing training materials by topic and identify key gaps in available training for function/position function KSAs
  • Develop a modular model training program that addresses any gaps
• Develop project approach that coordinates and avoids duplication
  • ITS JPO, FHWA, 20-7 (408)

Slide 10: 2018 TRB Student Competition

• Joint NOCoE & TRB competition leading up to TRB Annual Meeting
• Students submit an ePortfolio around recent projects/examples of work in TSMO
• Portfolios should be dynamic, engaging, reflect current and future areas of TSMO work/research
• Two winning individuals will receive funding for travel to TRB Annual Meeting
• Submittal deadline: November 1^st, 2017

Slide 11: ITS-JPO Student Competition

• Student ITS competition, a la “Shark Tank” TV show
• Students are asked to solve real-world problems from DOTs
• Live competition at 2018 ITE Annual Meeting (Minneapolis)
• Task force organized by ITS PCB Academic Team
  • NOCoE: competition information host, provide materials, coordinate judging
  • ITE: host live competition, assist in judging, advertisement
  • ITS America: Assist in judging, advertisement
  • State/Local DOTs: Assist in judging, provide problem statements

Slide 12: Questions?

Patrick Son, P.E.; Managing Director; pson@transportationops.org

Steven Lavrenz, Ph.D.; Technical Services Manager; slavrenz@transportationops.org

[This slide contains a screenshot of the NOCoE website homepage.]

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