Session Moderators

Moderator(s): 
Katie Turnbull, Senior Research Fellow, Texas A&M Transportation Institute 

Tara Andringa, Executive Director, Partners for Automated Vehicle Education

Katelyn Magney-Miller, Communications Manager, Partners for Automated Vehicle Education

Session Organizers

Organizers:
Tara Andringa - PAVE
Katie Turnbull - TTI
Mufaddal Ezzy - Aurora

TRB Sponsoring Committees and Partners

Session Description and Agenda

Description

American workers are on the path to exciting new careers in the AV sector, as the development of automated vehicles (AVs) 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. Both the public and private sectors are focus on leverage opportunities to build on the successes of existing training, upskilling, and workforce development initiatives.

This session will examine academic, industry, and public sector partnerships to advance AV workforce development that train workers for careers on the frontier of transportation and technology. These programs create new opportunities not only for white collar workers and seasoned blue-collar workers, but also for “new collar” workers who will redefine skilled labor and bolster America’s global competitiveness in the 21st Century.

Participants will explore the challenges with AVs and workforce development, strategies for approaching these challenges, and examples of initiatives underway. Participants will discuss the workforce needs of companies, industries, and government agencies, and current and planned offerings at universities, junior colleges, and technical schools.

Agenda

1:30 - 1:40 Introductions: The Focus of this Session - Katie Turnbull; Tara Andringa

1:40 - 2:10 PANEL - MythBusters: Challenging Conceptions of AVs & Workforce - Moderator: Tara Andringa (30 mins)

● Perspectives from the Automative Industry - Hilary Cain, Auto Innovators
● Perspective from the Automated Trucking Industry - Dan Goff, Kodiak
● Perspectives from the AV Industry - Alex Roy, Johnson & Roy Advisors

2:10 - 2:20 Q&A and discussion

2:20 – 2:50 PANEL - What do we need to do about AV workforce challenges? - Moderator: Katelyn Magney-Miller (30 mins)

● Aurora Workforce Development - Mufaddal Ezzy, Aurora
● Government and Industry Workforce Partnership - Finch Fulton, K&L Gates
● May Mobility and Workforce Development - Nicole DuPuis, May Mobility
● FHWA and Workforce Development - Amber Reimitz, FHWA

2:50 - 3:00 Q&A and discussion

3:00 - 3:30 BREAK

3:30 - 3:40 Potential Policy Solutions/Initiatives - Renee Gibson, AVIA - Moderator: Katie Turnbull

3:40 - 3:50 Q&A and discussion

3:50 - 4:50 PANEL - Workforce Development Initiatives/Examples - Moderator: Katie Turnbull (60 mins)

● Mapping Needs, Workforce Development, Tammy Meehan Russell, The Plum Catalyst
● Workforce Development in Contra Costa County, Tim Haile, Contra Costa Transportation Authority
● Minnesota CAV Camp, Gina Baas, Center for Transport Studies, University of Minnesota
● Future AV Workforce Opportunities, Ruth Whittaker, Chamber of Progress
● Workforce Development at Nuro, Katie Stevens, Nuro
● Research Updates – Camila Correau Jullian, University of California Los Angeles; Mollie D’Agostino, University of California Davis

4:30 - 5:00 Q &A and wrap up discussion on research and outreach needs, and possible next steps

Session Objectives

Attendees will learn:

● The importance of “new collar” workers with specialized technical skills for the future of the AV industry.
● Emerging opportunities driven by the development of the AV sector - workforce needs in companies, industries, and government agencies.
● Best practices and lessons learned in building partnerships between AV companies and academic institutions to leverage this opportunity, including examples of partnerships between companies, industries, public agencies, universities, junior colleges, and technical schools on courses and programs to develop the 21st-century workforce.
● How state policy can help to prepare workers of all education and skill levels for exciting new careers in the AV sector.
● Identify gaps between workforce needs and education and training, and opportunities to address these gaps.