Every January, National Mentoring Month spotlights the extraordinary impact of mentorship. This recognition celebrates the role of mentoring in talent development, knowledge transfer, skill enhancement, and fostering positive work cultures.

In the transit industry, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is at the forefront of mentorship with its JWI Apprenticeship program. Established in 2006, this partnership with ATU Local 265 represents a successful collaboration between labor and management. ATU Local 265 Officer Tom Fink (retired) presented the idea of a labor-management partnership to VTA.  The founding pillars of JWI are workplace solutions, career development, and public service with mental well-being added later.  In the bus and light rail programs, new employees are paired with more experienced mentors to help them navigate the ins and outs of a challenging public service.  Mentors aid in career advancement across various roles.

In addition to the aforementioned benefits, VTA’s apprenticeship programs in light rail, bus, maintenance, overhead line workers, and track workers help to create a leadership pipeline. In collaboration with Mission College, JWI offers extensive opportunities for:

• Academic advancement: Apprentices can earn up to 18 college credits from Mission College.
• Comprehensive training: 2,000 hours of classroom and on-the-job training.
• Certified apprenticeships: Pioneering in offering certified apprenticeships for coach operators and mechanics.

JWI’s objectives include enhancing employee performance, professional development, recruitment for public transit careers, addressing skilled worker shortages, and solving operational challenges. It’s become a national model for enhancing transit workers' conditions and retaining a strong workforce in the industry.

As National Mentoring Month underscores the essence of mentorship, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority's JWI program stands as a testament to the power of mentorship in shaping industries and transforming lives.

Through this initiative, VTA and ATU Local 265 not only address immediate workforce needs but also set a precedent for future-oriented, sustainable workforce development. The partnership provides a career ladder and training for ATU Local 265 VTA employees and allows the agency to fill difficult-to-recruit and highly skilled classifications.

The JWI partnership has become the model for transit agencies across California, the United States, and Canada. We have two ATU Local 265 members now working with ATU International to assist other ATU locals and agencies in starting new labor-management partnerships and mentoring programs for operators and maintenance.

Look for highlights this month on social media, including “I Am a Mentor” day (January 9), “International Mentoring Day” (January 17), and “Thank Your Mentor” day (January 25.)