Transit agencies create new mentorship programs to foster workforce retention

As the transportation industry faces a national shortage of employees, STAR Transit and the Lane Transit District (LTD) are launching programs to better develop and retain their workforces. These programs come at a time where worker retention is a struggle across all agencies, as noted in an American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Transit Workforce Shortage report, which shows that 96% of agencies surveyed are facing some type of worker shortage, including all of the top 50 agencies.

This trend hits agencies hardest when it comes to bus operators, with 84% of responding agencies to the APTA report noting shortages of those employees—the area both these programs are targeting.

STAR Transit launches Guiding Star Mentorship Program

STAR Transit has launched a new Guiding Star Mentor Program in collaboration with the International Transportation Learning Center (ITLC) to help mentor and grow the careers of its frontline workers.

ITLC was developed to advance frontline workforce training and mentorship across various industry sectors, including transportation, infrastructure and advanced manufacturing. In 2021, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) selected ITLC to operate the Transit Workforce Center (TWC). Through TWC, ITLC aims to support public transportation providers with frontline workforce recruitment, hiring, retention, training and career advancement strategies.

“The Guiding Star Mentor Program represents our commitment to investing in our people,” said STAR Transit Executive Director Tommy Henricks. “Through this collaboration with the Transit Workforce Center, we are strengthening training, mentorship and career pathways that will help our workforce grow and succeed.”

The Guiding Star Mentor Program is led by transportation director Antonio Harris. Three regional mentor STAR Transit operators have been selected to support new hires, helping them through the transition into their roles with success. Instead of a centralized mentorship approach, the agency will divide up its mentorship class by region to most thoroughly train and meet the needs of the employees for their areas.

According to ITLC, creating, supporting and retaining a strong and skilled workforce needs a rigorous training program, specifically in fields that are experiencing rapidly changing technologies and evolving workforce needs. 

“At the end of the day, our success depends on the strength of our workforce,” Henricks said. “The Guiding Star Mentor Program reflects our long-term commitment to supporting our employees while delivering safe, reliable and forward-thinking transit services.”

LTD welcomes eight new bus operators under new apprenticeship program

With these eight new graduates, LTD now employs 200 bus operators to run its network. The newest hires are the first members of LTD’s new Bus Operator Apprenticeship program, the first in Oregon. Certified by the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries, the program pairs the trained mentors with the new hires to help them adjust to the significant demands of the job. 

For the apprentices’ first 18 months of employment, LTD says that mentors will offer guidance, feedback and provide practical advice on everything from handling complex situations that may arise on the job to navigating the daily life and schedule of a bus operator.

“Our first-in-Oregon apprenticeship program empowers new operators to make a lasting impact from day one,” said LTD Labor Relations Manager Bill Bradley. “These graduates are the future of LTD and through the guidance of their mentors, they become the face of transit's role as the essential thread that binds our community, providing the reliable service that keeps Lane County moving forward.”

LTD’s bus operator training program spans nine weeks. The curriculum is taught in the classroom and behind the wheel to teach candidates about customer service, laws governing bus operations, LTD operations and how to operate the district’s 40- and 60-foot fixed-route buses, as well as its EmX buses that serve the bus rapid transit routes. 

LTD’s next Bus Operator Apprenticeship training course begins July 20, 2026. Those interested in applying for the next class can do so on LTD’s website.