Nearly two-dozen bus operators were celebrated this week for completing the Bus Operator Apprenticeship Program. The program is a partnership between the ATU Local 1005 and Metro Transit and involves ride-alongs, group meetings and mentoring.

Among the graduates was South Operator Barkhad Omar, who spent more than 17 years as a school bus driver. He said he joined Metro Transit because he wanted to build and be recognized for his skills. “This is what I came here for, to show that I’m a good student, a good professional,” he said.  

For more information about the apprentice program, contact Alec Johnson. 

We're (still) hiring!

Efforts to hire more bus operators continue. Here are the dates of the next one-day bus operator hiring events, which will be held at the Instruction Center.  

Frontline employees who want to earn supervisory experience are encouraged to apply for the Leadership Academy in November.  

Employees who are accepted into the Leadership Academy program will spend six months working alongside mentors in full-time acting supervisory roles and take online and instructor-led classes. By completing the program, participants earn the equivalent of one year of supervisory experience that can be used to meet minimum qualifications for Metropolitan Council job openings.  

Applications will be accepted from November 1 to November 15. The next group of participants will begin in March 2022, and the following groups will begin in September 2022, March 2023 and September 2023. 

Applications received this fall will be used to fill all openings through the end of 2023.  

Applicants will be asked to indicate the two positions they would most like to serve in, and to provide a short explanation of their interest.  

Leadership Academy participants must have at least two years of experience in an ATU position or have at least two years of work experience in a professional/technical firstline position.  

Human Resources staff plan to visit worksites in the coming weeks to share information about the program and answer questions. Questions can also be directed to a manager or supervisor or to Walt Joy.

Hear from past participants 

Two Leadership Academy participants recently shared their stories. Read more about how the program helped Rail Supervisor Jennifer Schultz and Maintenance Supervisor Donald Bryant reach their career goals.  

Members of the Equity & Inclusion Unit and Equity & Inclusion Team are visiting work sites and hosting virtual drop-in sessions this month to introduce themselves, invite feedback on a shared definition of transit equity and discuss equity's role in the Strategic Plan.  

Find a full calendar of scheduled outreach events here. Feedback received by the Equity & Inclusion Team will be recorded for tracking purposes. Feedback can be provided anytime online using this form.  

For more information, contact Sarah Berres. 

Further reading: TransitCenter recently published a new report about how transit agencies can advance equity, highlighting the work of the Equity & Inclusion Team. The report has a pretty great cover photo, too. Thank you to Cyndi Harper, Manager-Route Planning, for serving on the report committee. 

National Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month is September 15 through October 15. To commemorate, we'll feature employees in Insights every week through the end of the month. Learn more at hispanicheritagemonth.gov.    

How do you and/or your family celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?

Unfortunately, my wife and I grew up in a time where immigrants and their descendants were encouraged to immerse themselves into American culture, so we haven’t kept our Latin culture alive. In recent years, we started to rediscover our culture and started participating in multicultural events like Cinco de Mayo or Peruvian Independence Day celebration. In all, we are just starting to revive our cultural values and Latino roots in our family. 

How do you celebrate your culture today?

Like many other cultures, Latinos build cultural legacy through food and family gatherings. Our family is no exception. Around the dinner table, we share stories about growing up in a Peruvian family, how it was for us to stay up late playing outside with neighborhood friends or how strict our parents were about schoolwork. My kids love to hear stories about my parents. Through these stories, they are learning how much we value family and that we would do anything for each other. They are also learning about respect, hard work, and the importance of education.  We also introduce them to Latino cooking in addition to American cuisine. We are doing our best to create a blend of both cultures in my family.

Is there a cultural tradition, history, artist, musician, sport, that you’d like to share and introduce us to?

In Peru, the main Christmas celebration happens on Christmas Eve. It’s a whole day endeavor, starting with dusting off big pans, going to the market to buy fresh ingredients or rearranging the house to fit many people. All this work to prepare a wide range of traditional dishes and drinks which were accompanied by fireworks ALL night long. Throughout the day, it is a tradition to have paneton (Italian-style fruit bread) and hot chocolate made with real chocolate. I have fond memories of Christmas when my close relatives and friends would come to my parents’ house and  my dad traveling to the countryside to get pure chocolate from local cocoa growers. When hot chocolate is made with real chocolate it is a different experience. Not even Godiva stands a chance.

Ruter Operator Joseph Oladipo received the following commendation from a Route 5 customer who appreciates his handling of the federal mask requirement. Oladipo, right, was also recognized this week as Ruter Garage's Employee of the Month. 

Our driver deserves thanks for enforcing the mask mandate on the bus. It is truly commendable that he is risking his health and safety to keep his riders safe. I'm sorry you have to deal with this. Please know you are deeply appreciated. Thank you for all you do!