ATU Partners with CTW to Administer Nearly $10 Million in California Workforce Development Grants
As the transit industry leader in workforce development programs, the ATU is partnering with California Transit Works (CTW) to administer nearly $10 million in grants for groundbreaking apprenticeship and peer mentorship programs across California.
Our Union and Locals across California have worked closely with CTW, a statewide consortium of transit agencies, labor unions, and community colleges that promotes high road training partnerships that draw on the knowledge and skills of our frontline members to address critical issues in public transit.
Innovative Model
“The work that the ATU and CTW are doing right now is so important in California. The work that is happening, the partnerships that are being built, the apprenticeship programs, and the career pathways we’re creating have led to an innovative model that we’re starting to spread across the country to get these programs to more of our members,” said ATU International President John Costa, a member of the CTW Advisory Board.
“These programs are critical to preparing our members for the changing technology in the transition to zero emission vehicles. They have changed the lives of our members by advancing their careers. Becoming the fiscal agent for these impactful grants is a natural progression to our long and productive partnership with CTW. We look forward to continuing this incredible work in this new capacity,” said Costa.
CTW is a High Road Training Partnerships (HRTP) grant recipient, funded by the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), to further the mission of addressing income inequality, economic competitiveness, and climate change through regional skills strategies designed to support resilient communities across California. The nearly $10 million in grants will support current and future ATU labor-management High Road Training Partnerships and programs at 13 transit agencies in California, promoting good paying jobs with benefits and career opportunities.
Changing Workers’ Lives
“ATU International has a long history of supporting CTW in building labor-management partnerships in California,” said Deb Moy, a nationally recognized organizational change expert and CTW Co-Founder and Organizational Strategist. “The ATU will bring its national experience with developing workforce development programs to its new role of fiscal agent for CTW grants from the CWDB to advance high road training partnerships in California, changing workers’ lives. This partnership is exciting because of our commitment to frontline workers and the ripple effect it will have across the country.”
CTW grant activities include technical assistance and funding to the 13 HRTPs for operations and maintenance apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and peer mentoring programs for our frontline members. CTW also convenes statewide workgroups to address transit industry needs, focusing on frontline workers, including the conversion to zero emission buses, the need for frontline worker safety and technical training, and the need for outreach, recruitment, and retention of new frontline workers,
with special emphasis on underserved and priority population communities.