U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
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Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000


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Federal-aid Program Administration

 

Training Resources

State Transportation Agencies (STAs) and FHWA Division Offices:

Many of our STAs and our FHWA field offices have developed administrative and program overview training courses and presentations that pertain to the federal-aid project development and implementation process and is exclusive to your state. You are encouraged to contact the field office contacts for more detailed information on what may be available in your state.

LTAP:

In addition, there are 58 Centers that comprise FHWA's Local & Tribal Technical Assistance Programs (LTAP/TTAP) which are designed to provide information and training to local governments and agencies responsible for over three million miles of roads and over 300,000 bridges in the United States. The mission of LTAP/TTAP is to foster a safe, efficient, and environmentally sound surface transportation system by improving skills and increasing knowledge of the transportation workforce and decision makers.

The Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) and Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP) are composed of a network of centers - one in every state, Puerto Rico and regional centers serving tribal governments. The LTAP/TTAP centers enable local counties, parishes, townships, cities and towns to improve their roads and bridges by supplying them with a variety of training programs, an information clearinghouse, new and existing technology updates, personalized technical assistance and newsletters.

Through these core services, LTAP/TTAP centers provide access to training and information that may not have otherwise been accessible. Centers are able to provide local road departments with workforce development services; resources to enhance safety and security; solutions to environmental, congestion, capacity and other issues; technical publications; and training videos and materials.

It is noted that LTAP training in the past has traditionally provided more technical hands-on information as it pertains to roadway/bridge design, construction and materials topics and state-of-the art/practices. However, LTAP centers, in more recent years, have been moving toward assisting our STA partners with information and training as it pertains to program implementation, administration and oversight/stewardship matters.

The Center for Local Aid Support (CLAS) acts as a central source of information for LTAP/TTAP centers and other industry stakeholders. It also provides links to the LTAP/TTAP Centers in your state.

National LTAP - http://www.nltapa.org/

National Highway Institute (NHI):

The National Highway Institute (NHI) is a part of the FHWA and was established by Congress in 1970. NHI is the training and education arm of FHWA. NHI helps improve the performance of the transportation industry through training. To achieve this mission, NHI provides leadership and resources to guide the development and delivery of transportation-related training in many formats including both classroom based and distance based learning.

NHI's goals are to:

  • Train the current and future transportation workforce
  • Transfer knowledge quickly and effectively to and among transportation professionals
  • Provide training that addresses the full life cycle of the highway transportation system

In serving the national transportation community, NHI partners with many organizations. NHI can provide training resources and educational benefits to customers, partners, and learners in every State, Local government and private organization. NHI also works with the Affiliate Programs, the University and Grants Programs (UG&P), and the Office of Technical Services. Together, these programs and activities support the training and educational needs of the transportation workforce.

The NHI website provides course catalog information, web course information, training materials purchase, etc.

American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO):

AASHTO's Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council (TCCC) is a partnership between the FHWA, State Departments of Transportation (DOTs), and the highway transportation industry to support the training of the highway construction personnel. The TCCC's mission is to provide leadership at a national level, develop and maintain a national curriculum for various transportation disciplines, identify training and certification requirements, and coordinate/facilitate training efforts.

A key effort to the mission of the TCCC is the Core Curriculum Matrix Development Initiative. The goal of the TCCC is to improve the quality of construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of the transportation infrastructure by increasing the knowledge and skills of those responsible for these disciplines. This is achieved through the identification of the core skill competencies required of the highway transportation workforce (e.g., State and local Department of Transportation [DOT] personnel, contractors, material suppliers and consultants) and the training opportunities that support the development of these competencies.

The resulting Core Curriculum is designed to help State and local DOTs establish a basis for their overall technician training and ongoing professional development programs. The curriculum is designed as a tool that helps to reach that goal. It is intended to help transportation agencies in their efforts to develop a skilled workforce by assisting the training developers in establishing comprehensive curriculum tracks and identifying existing training that can be used in their program (or adapted to fit). The curriculum can be tailored to fit the specific needs of each agency. Additionally, employees and managers can use the competencies and courses to further their professional development.

Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies is a transportation resource designed to help local agency professionals navigate the Federal-aid Highway Program. Federal-aid Essentials is structured for busy agency staff who wants further understanding of Federal-aid policies, procedures, and practices. You will find quick answers, straight to the point, and presented in plain language to help you make the right decisions in successfully completing federally funded projects.

The Federal-aid Essentials Web site contains a resource library of informational videos and related materials. Readily accessible and available when you need an answer, each video addresses a single topic presented in everyday language-condensing the complex regulations and requirements of the Federal-aid Highway Program into easy-to-understand concepts and illustrated examples. This Web site allows you to indicate areas of interest and receive alerts when material that matches your interests becomes available. You also can give feedback that will help FHWA continue to provide useful assistance.

Federal-aid Essentials can become your personal reference library available 24 hours a day. Consult Federal-aid Essentials at the start of a new roadway project concept, or when questions arise about financing, right-of-way, or environmental impacts. Or, you may have a concern about Civil Rights, or a need for more information on project development or construction administration. You may simply want to review the process to closeout a project. Federal-aid Essentials offers a wide range of video modules to address questions and concerns.

Updated: 09/17/2019
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000