Training

Workshop Focuses on Marketing Skills

Transportation organizations may not have the budget for large marketing plans. It takes resourcefulness and creativity to communicate inexpensively, yet effectively. A SURTC workshop Sept. 16 helped transit managers learn and polish communication skills.

"Marketing on a Shoe String Budget" was presented by Lyn Hellegaard, Director of Community Affairs for the Missoula Ravalli Transport Management Association. In her position, Hellegaard is responsible for all activities related to public relations and marketing.

The workshop covered topics ranging from how to develop a cost-effective marketing plan to finding the hidden marketing department in an organization. "Communicating with the public you serve and the entities that provide your funding is essential for survival," says Jill Hough, director of SURTC. "The lessons in the workshop are very applicable to transportation agencies."

The workshop provided managers and other personnel with practical ways to develop and implement a marketing plan on a limited budget, successful copywriting techniques and tips for publication design. Those skills can be used to identify target audiences and communicate effectively with funding agencies, customers and community.

The half-day workshop was accessible via the TEL8 system. Thirty-one people attended the workshop in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. Hough says, SURTC plans to repeat the workshop in the future.

Handouts and a form to request a video of the workshop are available on the Web at www.surtc.org/training/shoestring/.

SURTC to Offer Training to SMART in Detroit Metro Area

When a transit authority in suburban Detroit, Mich., went looking this summer for an organization to provide customized training for its workers, the Community Transportation Association of American (CTAA) sent them to the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center.

The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) includes about 60 community partners in three counties and provides transportation weekly for 200,000 riders. "At first this doesn't sound like a logical fit," notes Jill Hough, SURTC director. "But many of the areas served by SMART can be categorized as rural or small urban areas."

Hough notes that the recommendation by the CTAA and the interest from SMART are an endorsement of the work SURTC is doing and the stature the center is gaining nationwide.

Under a preliminary agreement, SURTC will customize training modules from the CTAA for SMART drivers and other employees. "With the diversity of agencies involved in SMART, it's extremely difficult to get staff to traditional, classroom-based training, especially if the training requires one or more full days," Hough notes. "We're going to be looking at some alternative delivery methods including interactive video conferencing, interactive websites, CDs and DVDs."

SURTC is developing a Passenger Service and Safety Certification (PASS) training module and another on professional dispatching and scheduling. PASS training ensures that drivers have up-to-date expertise in passenger assistance techniques and sensitivity skills for serving riders with disabilities. The dispatching and scheduling course focuses on improving efficiency and customer service.

"SMART wants training for its personnel that is customized to address the unique needs of its region and clientele," Hough notes. "Although this is a new venture for us, we're well-suited to developing and providing that kind of training."

The two training modules are being developed as a pilot program. "If things go well, it's likely we'll expand the program with SMART and we may customize or develop training programs for other transit agencies." Hough says. With that in mind, SURTC is making a significant contribution to the effort by covering administrative costs and some developmental costs.