CITT News

The United States transportation infrastructure is a complex modal network that includes over 4 million miles of roadway, 140,000 miles of railway, and 25,000 miles of inland waterways. Since 1982, the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) has been working behind the scenes to support the agencies responsible for the operation, maintenance, and performance of America’s local roads and highways. Funded through partnerships between the Federal Highway Administration and state and local DOTs, this national program assists local, rural, and tribal transportation agencies by offering low-to-no-cost access to high-demand workforce training, technical assistance, and other knowledge transfer services. With over 51 centers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico forming a state-based regional network, the LTAP has established a comprehensive national framework of local public agency (LPA) support. In California, LTAP services are delivered through a collective of university-based partners managed by the Caltrans Division of Local Assistance. These partners include the UC Berkeley TechTransfer Center, the California State University, Sacramento’s College of Continuing Education, and now the Center for International Trade & Transportation (CITT) at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB).

In its new role as LTAP Center administrator, CITT has partnered with the CSULB College of Engineering’s Center for Energy and Environmental Research & Services (CEERS) to manage the program’s various networks, communications, information sharing, and development of specialized workforce training. To expand beyond the current portfolio of LTAP services, CITT envisions a Center that is responsive to the needs of a broader range of California LPAs, including smaller rural and tribal agencies. This vision starts with the launch of a new website that will streamline visitor access to critical online resources while also sharing updates on current workplace innovations, industry best practices, and online training opportunities captured from organizations across the U.S. New Center Manager Scott Jakovich notes that “we envision this new site as a nexus for all things LTAP, offering users a central location for the online training and technical resources that are valued by the state’s many local transportation agencies.”

In addition, CEERS will introduce a series of training modules related to construction, project management, safety protocols, and environmental impacts; all part of its new Residence Engineering Training Academy (RETA). Designed to address the project needs of transportation and construction engineering professionals, two initial RETA modules are planned for release this summer. Hamid Rahai, the Center’s Engineering Training Development Coordinator, notes that “University-industry partnerships like LTAP are a great source for innovation and education. We look forward to serving the transportation industry through our newly established RETA program.”

In their relaunch of the LTAP Center, the CITT/CEERS team bring a broad professional network, extensive experience in workforce development training and lean project management, and an overarching mission to engage a broader client audience and expand program services. In California, the LTAP provides training and technical assistance to the employees and contractors of over 600 agencies from the state’s 58 counties and municipalities. As one of the largest states in terms of both size and population, California’s LTAP carries a significant influence both internally and nationally. New Center Director Tom O’Brien emphasizes that “we are excited to bring our knowledge of transportation in its many facets, and our expertise in education and training, to local agencies across the state. California often sets the standard for the rest of the nation when it comes to transportation systems, and a strong workforce—particularly at the local level—ensures that will remain the case.”

Administration of the LTAP Center transferred over to CITT on October 1st, 2021.