The demand for roadway industry jobs is enormous and will continue growing, Karen Bobo, director of the Center for Transportation Workforce Development at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), said at today’s Workforce Development Open Forum.

The “critical task” is developing a qualified workforce, she told the group attending the Open Forum held as part of ATSSA’s 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo. The question for everyone was how to achieve that.

She said it’s essential to identify emerging skills and training that will be needed and finding effective ways to attract employees who will want to invest in the industry.

Every company seeks to recruit and retain the most talented personnel but how to do it takes insights and skill.

Join the Workforce Development Open Forum on Wednesday (Feb. 10) for a live discussion from 10 a.m. to noon EST about developing a new model for success that identifies, trains and places individuals for jobs in the roadway safety infrastructure industry.

Learn from seasoned personnel from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and bring your ideas and questions.

The Workforce Development Open Forum is included in full registration for ATSSA’s 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo being held online through Feb. 18.

As more states move to legalize marijuana and decriminalize other controlled substances, employers face increasing challenges and liability from employment-related claims in the workplace.

From demands to accommodate medical marijuana use in the workplace to disability related accommodation requests under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers are required to navigate evolving state laws decriminalizing marijuana while federal law continues to prohibit marijuana and other controlled substances.

From the ADA to OSHA to workers compensation claims involving impaired employees, this education session – “The Grass Isn’t Always Greener: The Impact of Increased Marijuana Legalization on the Workplace and Other Employment Law Developments” -evaluates employers’ legal duties while providing practical advice to help avoid employment claims. This is one of nearly 50 education sessions offered at ATSSA’s 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo. It concludes with a look ahead at emerging law trends that may impact your company in 2021, including claims emerging from COVID-19 and new federal and state regulations.

The demand for rideshare continues to grow across the globe. It is becoming increasingly important that traffic control design specialists understand the nuances of how companies like Uber work to streamline pick-ups, drop-offs and vehicle routing for the 35%+ of Americans who use ridesharing apps and are able to leave their own cars at home.

Whether it be event planning, emergency responses or long-term construction projects, there are significant benefits to understanding how rideshare functions and how to best incorporate it in the planning process.

Join Katie Savarise and Ben Kemp of Uber for “Effectively Integrating Rideshare into Traffic Management Plans” on Feb. 8, from 1- 2 p.m. EST. It is one of nearly 50 education sessions offered during ATSSA’s 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo being held online Feb. 8-12 and 16-18.

Influencing your employees and team members is one of the most important and challenging parts of being a leader, but it’s essential if you’re going to create safe and productive workplaces. Unfortunately, employees don’t always listen to or follow through on your guidance. Sometimes that’s because they really don’t know what they need to do. But it might also be that they’re unclear on what action to take and when. Or maybe there are obstacles in their way. However, the real reason might be deeper than that. Maybe the person you’re trying to influence thinks they know better than you or maybe they don’t like being told what to do. 

Often the inclination is to address all problems as knowledge problems which means providing your employees more information on what to do and when. But if it’s a deeper motivation, that isn’t going to help. It might even backfire. Even the best-intentioned leaders can unknowingly make the situation worse by using communication styles that trigger more resistance.

“But I Don’t Wanna” is one of nearly 50 education sessions offered at ATSSA’s 51st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, held online Feb. 8-12 and 16-18.