Pathway to Promote Diversity within Public Transit Workforce

University Transportation Centers Programhttps://doi.org/10.31979/mti.2022.21352022PDFTech ReportMohebbi, MehriRaghuram, SumitaZandiatashbar, AhouraSan Jose State University. College of Business. Mineta Transportation InstituteUnited States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) ProgramUnited States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and TechnologySan Jose State University. College of Business. Mineta Transportation InstituteUnited StatesPublic transitRecruitingSocial diversityTransit operating agenciesTransit personnel22-3669A3551747127Final ReportThere are many aspects of the transportation industry that can be focused on, but the lack of resiliency is one of the most urgent. Enhancing resiliency and creative problem-solving is essential to the industry\u2019s growth and survival. But it cannot happen without building a more diverse workforce. Women still make up a small fraction of transportation workers, and African American and Hispanic employees are even less represented. These disparities are increasingly pronounced in many senior positions, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Meanwhile, the public transportation industry is experiencing a severe and worsening workforce shortage and many agencies have reported substantial difficulty recruiting, retaining, and developing skilled workers. Considering the transit industry\u2019s existing diversity and inclusion toolkits and guidelines, this project emphasizes lessons from in-depth interviews with leaders from 18 transit agencies across the country. The interviews illuminate the existing challenges and creative solutions around transit workforce diversity and inclusion. From the interviews, the authors discovered: (1) the critical factors that impact the current level of diversity and career mobility within transit agencies; (2) how diversity efforts help explore resources and provide opportunities for effective and robust employee engagement; and (3) the significance of evaluation systems in creating a more transparent recruitment process that initiates structural shifts, resulting in better recruiting. Moving towards inclusive and equitable workforce environments is a healing process that starts with understanding these gaps. The authors call this effort Healing the Workforce through Diversification.143