APTA’s The Transit Authority: Mentoring, Part Two

2/1/2024

Mentoring: A Tool for Employee Engagement & Retention

As we close out National Mentoring Month, APTA’s official podcast, The Transit Authority, presents the second episode of a two-part series on mentoring.

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) and ATU Local 268 launched the Positive Impact peer-to-peer mentoring program in August 2022. The three-month pilot to bolster retention of the agency’s bus, rail, and paratransit drivers yielded impressive results in both retention and decreased driver absenteeism rates.

Front row, from left: Nick Biggar, Hayden District director; Darnell Morris, ATU Local 268 vice president. Second row, from left (all GCRTA): George Fields, deputy general manager, human resources; Natoya Walker Minor, deputy general manager, administration and external affairs; India L. Birdsong Terry, general manager & CEO, Wendy Talley, director, training and employee development; Daveda Bencs, transportation manager.

The program is attracting the attention of several public transit agencies seeking more information on best practices for peer-to-peer mentoring and a mentoring program endorsed by union leadership.

Learn how the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s peer-to-peer mentoring program increased the worker retention rate from 50-90 percent in Part One of the series here.

Access all episodes of The Transit Authority.