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Research Reports |
| Title: | Public Transportation Workforce Development: A Survey of Vocational and University Students |
| Authors: | David Ripplinger and Jill Hough |
| Publication Date: | Jul 2010 |
| Report #: | DP-229 |
| TRID #: | 01454158 |
| Keywords: | attitudes, college students, labor force, surveys, transportation careers |
| Type: | Research Report – Department Publications |
Students at three institutions of higher learning in the upper Midwest were surveyed to identify attitudes and behaviors that impact their choice of academic major, internship, and career, as well as perceptions of internships and careers in public transportation, and use of job search methods. Fifteen percent of students stated that they are interested in an internship in public transportation, while 34% responded that they didn't know. Students in general did not report strong attitudes about internships or careers in transit. However, for those attributes that they did report strong feelings, the attitudes were negative. Internships in public transportation were not viewed as providing opportunities to apply existing skills or to develop new skills, the top factors that influence internship selection. Students thought that a career in public transportation would be uninteresting, unchallenging intellectually, and would not provide the opportunity to be creative. They also do not believe that a career in transit will provide the opportunity to work with technology, or provide social prestige. Strategies to address these shortcomings include educating university and vocational students on the industry and career opportunities and working with the broader transportation industry to deal with shared workforce development needs.
Ripplinger, David, and Jill Hough. Public Transportation Workforce Development: A Survey of Vocational and University Students, DP-229. North Dakota State University, Fargo: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, 2010.
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