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3 program, how the program is used, how it could be improved, whether training is adequate, how best to prepare technicians for ASE certification, and what in their collective opinion is to be done to improve the program and motivate others to participate. Technical approach The approach to this synthesis includes a literature review, multiple surveys conducted of transit agency maintenance personnel, and in-depth investigations of three case examples. Separate surveys were designed to elicit viewpoints directly from three transit occupations: technicians, instructors, and maintenance managers, supervisors, and union representatives. Once the survey questionnaires were finalized and approved by the oversight panel they were distributed to 16 transit agencies of different sized fleets. The oversight panel selected to survey 16 transit agen- cies with an average of 15 technicians from each agency. Including responses received from instructors, maintenance managers, supervisors, and union representatives, more than 400 surveys were received from the 16 agencies. Agencies were selected based on (1) their willingness to engage both labor and management in the process; (2) their willingness to set time aside for technicians to complete the survey on agency time; and (3) their joint commitment to ensure surveys were completed. In addition to the more than 400 surveys received from the 16 target agencies, ASE sent surveys to its mailing list of those who have taken at least one of its transit series tests, which resulted in an additional 108 responses. Table 1 shows a breakdown of the 510 responses received from the selected 16 transit agencies and the ASE mailing for all three occupa- tions surveyed. Surveys developed for each occupation shared the same core questions regarding ASEâs transit program. Using a stan- dard set of questions for each group allowed comparisons to be made. An Internet-based survey tool recommended by TRB was used to classify responses. A listing of transit agency participation is included as Appendix A, and examples of contract language used by transit agencies to award compensation and other incentives projecT Background and purpose ASE, formally known as the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, is a nonprofit organization established in 1972 to improve the quality of vehicle maintenance and repair by testing automotive technicians and certifying their abilities. Certification provides tangible proof that technicians have the skills and knowledge required to safely and efficiently carry out their job. ASE certifies technicians through a series of written tests. Exams are segmented by subspecialties such as automobile, medium and heavy truck, school bus, and collision repair. There are more than 40 individual exams; test questions are written by subject matter experts (SMEs) including main- tenance managers, technicians, vehicle manufacturers, and instructors. In 2004, work began to expand the ASE program to include the testing and certification of transit bus technicians. The pro- gram was made possible through funding provided by TCRP, known as TCRP Project E-06. It is described in greater detail in chapter two. According to ASE, more than 3,000 technicians have passed more than 10,000 individual ASE Transit Bus tests and 601 (approximately 20%) have attained ASE Transit Bus Master Technician designation. The Master designation is given to those technicians who attain certifications in virtu- ally all vehicle areas (i.e., brakes, engines, transmissions, etc.). Technicians with ASE certification must recertify every 5 years to keep certifications current. The number of transit bus techni- cians with ASE certification, however, is small in comparison to the total number of bus technicians. According to TCRP Report 178: A National Training and Certification Program for Tran- sit Vehicle Maintenance Instructors (Transportation Learning Center 2015), there are nearly 53,000 technicians employed by transit agencies across bus, heavy and light rail, and para- transit modes. The purpose of this synthesis is to document how a diverse cross section of transit bus maintenance personnel view the ASE certification program and what they believe can be done to improve acceptance and participation. The focus of this effort is on maintenance personnelâtechnicians, instructors, and maintenance managers; supervisors; and union representativesâbecause the ultimate acceptance of ASE rests with them. Their viewpoints are the most telling in terms of what is right and what is wrong with the current ASE chapter one inTroducTion
4 are shown in Appendix B, and all questionnaires are presented as Appendix C. Three case examples were selected as noteworthy appli- cations of the ASE program. They include integration of ASE at two transit agencies and a state-wide training program where ASE is an integral part of the curriculum. The data collected through the literature review, surveys, and case examples document the level of ASE program aware- ness, viewpoints toward testing and ASE, how tests are used, recertification ratios, compensation, challenges and barriers, and future issues to address. Material presented in this syn- thesis documents how the industry regards and is using ASE certification, and how best to retain and attract technicians to the program. reporT organizaTion The report is organized into five chapters. Following the Intro- duction, chapter two summarizes the findings of the literature review, which is used to provide detailed information about ASE and other organizations that interact with it. Chapter three reports on views held by the three occupations surveyedâ technicians, instructors, and maintenance managers; super- visors; and union representativesâregarding six key areas of the ASE program: ⢠ASE certifications ⢠Opinions regarding the ASE program ⢠Opinions regarding ASE testing ⢠Opinions regarding compensation ⢠Training ⢠Recommendations for improving ASE. Chapter four presents three case examples of ASE program integration within transit: ⢠How VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio, Texas, worked with its union to integrate ASE into its techni- cian recognition and training program. ⢠How Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Com- mission (PRTC) of Northern Virginia and its maintenance contractor First Transit use ASE to meet contractual requirements to validate that technicians are qualified for their jobs. ⢠How the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) teamed up to help technicians achieve ASE Master Certification as one element of its multi-faceted statewide training program. The synthesis ends with chapter five, Conclusions, which summarizes the major findings, identifies barriers preventing further ASE implementation, and offers suggestions for further research. Source Technicians Instructors Manager/Supervisor/Union Rep. 16 Target Agencies (402 total responses) 246 37 119 ASE Mailing (108 total responses) 81 6 21 Subtotals 327 43 140 Total: All Surveys 510 Source: Survey responses. TABLE 1 BREAkDOwN OF SURVEy RESPONSES
