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153-Workforce Development for 21st Century Automated Mobility 

Date and Time: Monday, July 10, 2023: 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Imperial A

Session Moderators and Organizers

MODERATORS
Katie Turnbull, Senior Research Fellow, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Andrea Gold, Research Engineer, University of Texas, Austin Center for Transportation Research
Anna Wittenmyer McAuley, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Texas, Austin Center for Transportation

ORGANIZERS
Katie Turnbull, Senior Research Fellow, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Chair and Session Contact
Andrea Gold, University of Texas at Austin Center for Transportation Research
Kristin White, Operating Officer, ITS America
Katie Stevens, Head of State and Local Policy-West, nuro

TRB Sponsoring Committees and Partners

TRB Forum on Automated Vehicles and Shared Mobility

Session Description and Agenda

DESCRIPTION

The rapid development of automated vehicles and related applications requires new and diverse worker skill sets. Ensuring that education and training programs are available to meet these needs is critical for realizing the benefits of AVs to 21st-century mobility. Participants in this session will learn about AV workforce development activities around the country, including partnerships between the technology industry and universities, junior colleges, and technical schools. Participants will discuss the workforce needs of companies, industries, and government agencies, and the current and projected offerings of universities, junior colleges, and technical schools. Gaps in education and training will be identified, along with opportunities to address these gaps.

AGENDA

1:30 PM – 1:40 PM Welcome and Introductions
• Katie Turnbull, Texas A&M Transportation Institute

1:40 PM – 2:30 PM Industry 21st-Century AV Workforce Development Activities
Moderator: Anna Wittenmyer, University of Texas at Austin Center for Transportation Research
• Autonomous Trucking Workforce Needs, Dan Goff, Kodiak Robotics
• nuro and San Jacinto Community College Collaboration, Katie Stevens, nuro
• Beep Workforce Development Activities, Jennifer Davenport, Beep
• Workforce Development Needs in Taxi, TNC, and AV Services, Leah Kaplan, Ph.D. student, Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, George Washington University

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM Questions/Answers and Discussion

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM Break

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Public Agency and University 21st-Century AV Workforce Development Activities
Moderator: Andrea Gold, University of Texas at Austin Center for Transportation Research
• Addressing Workforce Development in Ohio, Preeti Choudary, DriveOhio
• Workforce Development in Minnesota, Justin Johnson, Minnesota Innovation Alliance and The Plum Catalyst
• Workforce Development in Ottawa, Michael Tremblay, Invest Ottawa
• NCHRP Project – 20-102(20) – Workforce Development for Engineering Technologies, Britton E. Hammit Johnson, Kimley-Horn
• WeTransform: Addressing AV Workforce Needs in Europe, Cristina Pronello, Politechnico di Torino

4:30 PM – 4:50 PM Questions/Answers and Discussion

4:50 – 5:00 PM Next Steps and Follow-Up Activities
Follow up activities on workforce needs in the AV industry and educational opportunities to meet these needs, including of gaps, partnership opportunities, and funding needs.

Session Objectives

• Share recent examples of partnerships between companies, industries, public agencies, universities, junior colleges, and technical schools on courses and programs to develop the 21st-century workforce.
• Discuss workforce needs in companies, industries, and government agencies.
• Discuss education and training programs at universities, junior colleges, and technical schools.
• Identify gaps between workforce needs and education and training, and opportunities to address these gaps.
• Discuss methods and opportunities for ongoing communication and collaboration.