AASHTO Journal, 16 November 2012
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is forging ahead with a new partnership with an organization aimed at building and preserving a strong transportation workforce across the nation.
The Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council (TCCC), an organization that helps train transportation technicians through course development, web training, and information and resource sharing, is partnering with AASHTO to make the workforce development initiative sustainable. TCCC currently operates through a Federal Highway Administration Pooled Fund. With the funding changes that occurred after passage of the nation’s new surface transportation bill, MAP-21, FHWA can no longer support the training initiative in this way.
AASHTO has supported TCCC for many years through liaison with three of the Subcommittees which report to the Standing Committee on Highways (Maintenance, Construction, and Materials). Both AASHTO and TCCC see many benefits in moving the organization under the AASHTO organizational structure. AASHTO shares TCCC’s goal of continuing investment in employees through training and understands the benefits of coordinated training development programs. Since TCCC is primarily an organization of state transportation department representatives, a full partnership with AASHTO was an obvious alternative to remaining at FHWA. While the final structure of the program within AASHTO has not been finalized, the Engineering Division looks forward to working with the TCCC Executive Advisory Committee to continue this important work.
TCCC is scheduled to have a table at the upcoming AASHTO Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh this week to provide information on its benefits and services. Further information on TCCC’s move to AASHTO is expected following AASHTO’s Spring Meeting in May. Additional information on TCCC is available at bit.ly/TCCC2012.