BART program on the way

Los Medanos College is one of the Bay Area colleges selected to participate in BART’s Transit Career Ladders Training Program. Applications can be submitted from March 25 to April 29.

Students at community colleges including LMC, Diablo Valley College, Chabot College, City College of San Francisco and College of San Mateo are allowed to apply to the program.

“The LMC ETEC program is well-known by employers throughout the Bay Area, particularly by manufacturers and municipal utilities agencies. The four colleges each have electrical programs and are spread across BART’s service area,” said David Wahl, a member of LMC’s Workforce Development.

Upon the successful completion of the program, graduates can receive anywhere from 19 to 31 credits, depending on the college a student attends.

“The 22 units of ETEC coursework chosen by BART will be contextualized in partnership by BART electrical and electronics maintenance staff and our ETEC faculty specifically for transit careers. This can greatly enhance the relevance of the curriculum,” said Wahl.

In August of 2015, Anthony Foxx, the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary, announced $9.5 million in grants to go toward training and developing tomorrow’s transportation workforce. BART was one of the 19 competing agencies to receive a grant and was given $750,000. The program helps provide training and education to promote transportation jobs to those in low-income areas, including minorities, veterans and women.

LMC students 18 and older wishing to apply to the Transit Career Ladders Training Program, visit www.bart.gov/about/jobs/training.