The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) opened its first North American Regional Training Center (RTC) in New Jersey made possible through a partnership with New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) and Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT).
UITP currently has nine RTCs around the world, where transportation training is provided through uniform standards and best practices for all areas of public transportation.
UITP says its RTCs provide high level training programs on the fundamentals of public transport, bus planning, rail operations and maintenance and fare management and offer transit professionals the education needed to enhance their skills and improve sustainable mobility.
“Collaboration is key - and we strive to do this across the globe to best reflect our international membership. I am delighted that UITP will partner with NJ Transit and Rutgers CAIT to establish the first UITP Regional Training Center in North America. This is an important time for our sector, and this new partnership will provide an excellent opportunity for industry leaders to bring their expertise to a whole new audience in North America,” said UITP Secretary General Mohamed Mezghani.
The New Jersey RTC has four courses starting this summer and extending through late fall, including:
- Public Transport Fundamentals for North America – July 2023
- Electric Buses: Fleet & Infrastructure Planning, Operations and Maintenance for North America – September 2023
- Rail Operations and Maintenance for North America – October 2023
- Ticketing and Fare Management for North America – November 2023
“It is a privilege for NJ Transit to lead this partnership that is establishing UITP’s first-ever North American Regional Training Center,” said NJ Transit President and CEO and North American Representative to the Policy Board of UITP Kevin S. Corbett. “NJ Transit has benefitted greatly from its membership in UITP since 2018, which has given us access to industry best practices around the globe, as well as our strong, long-standing partnership with Rutgers CAIT.”
NJ Transit committed to sponsoring four training programs annually, providing guest speakers for programs when possible and leveraging its experience in the delivery of public transportation throughout the area. Rutgers CAIT will act as a key partner by coordinating with UITP and NJ Transit to provide necessary logistics and administrative support, as well as provide marketing of the training courses and hosting the training sessions.
"Healthy infrastructure and transit systems serve as the backbone of the U.S. economy and require a skilled workforce to maintain, operate and improve them,” said Dr. Ali Maher, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rutgers University and director of Rutgers CAIT. “The current and future transit workforce will be tasked with addressing climate change impacts, building with resilience and improving the equity of our transportation systems. This North American Regional Training Center serves as an opportunity to share industry knowledge on a national scale and develop the next generation of transit leaders.”
UITP explained this as a critical time for transit to take a leading role, but recognized the entire sector requires upskilling, which is where training programs such as those found at RTCs will step in to prepare leaders for the challenges of today, as well as those of the future.
