National Impact

Pictured L-R: Jamaine Gibson, Brent Parton, Rob Gamble

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On March 25, 2023, the California Transit Works’ model of workforce development was presented at The Forum, the annual conference of the National Association of Workforce Boards, in Washington DC. The US Department of Labor, Acting Assistant Secretary ETA Brent Parton, ATU Director of Apprenticeships and Workforce Development Jamaine Gibson,  and California Transit Works Senior Workforce Development Strategist Rob Gamble described how public transit agencies and unions are building a High Road Training Partnership (HRTP) apprenticeship model across California and increasingly nationwide. Their session highlighted how a systematic approach to workforce development based on the principles of industry-driven, worker centered, community oriented, and measurable results addresses critical issues of equity, job quality worker voice, industry efficiency and environmental sustainability. 

Rob Gamble gave a brief overview of CTW’s innovative labor/ management partnership approach to workforce development. CTW’s accomplishments so far include six US-DOL registered public transit apprenticeships, five California community college (credit bearing) certificates, 46 credit-bearing college courses, and more than 350 Career Technical Education (CTE) certificates awarded (to date) by three California community colleges, in partnership with the high road training partnerships (HRTPs) of two public transit agencies and their ATU locals. Brent Parton observed that the CTW labor/management partnership-based approach is one of the ways the United States is going to have to approach workforce development, going forward.

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​Jamaine Gibson discussed the partnership between the ATU International and CTW that is  building groundbreaking transit apprenticeship and peer mentorship programs across California, and how the ATU International is successfully bringing the CTW HRTP model to scale across the country.

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