Our Transdev team in Fairfax County, VA recently launched a one-year, maintenance apprenticeship program in support of Transdev’s commitment to workforce development. The program encourages high school students to gain the skills needed to enter a career in Transit as a maintenance technician– no experience necessary.
This program attracts students who previously were not aware of the great jobs available in public transit with Transdev and gets a new generation of talent into our workforce! Our program was officially kicked off in Fairfax last month with a full roster of six new apprentices going through the one-year process. There are plans to replicate this program in other Transdev locations around the country.
Following the successful completion of the one-year program, the apprentice will have gained the required knowledge, experience, and competency to test and become certified as a Level C maintenance technician for Transdev.
“This program is a great way to introduce the transit industry to a new generation of applicants who would not have been eligible to work in these roles otherwise,” said Terry Thompson, Transdev’s area general manager in Fairfax County, VA. “The program identifies a career path and advancement opportunities for individuals with aspirations of becoming a diesel or zero emissions bus technician, while introducing them to the exciting, new electric vehicle technology that’s becoming such a big part of our industry.”
The one-year program consists of a balance between classroom lessons and hands-on training. It starts with a 90-day introductory period that focuses on safety, garage processes, bus operation and equipment familiarization. Upon completion of the 90-day program, the apprentice is assigned a mentor to work with until the completion of the program. Mentors will complete weekly skills evaluations of each apprentice, documenting tasks completed, tasks learned and the level of proficiency of those tasks.
New apprenticeship opportunities will be offered every six months and are posted on our Transdev career site, as well as on the Department of Labor career site.
The Transdev team also is working on a separate three-year maintenance training program that has already been certified by the Department of Labor.
