Training Curricula for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Department of Highways

Most state departments of transportation (DOTs) offer their employees professional development opportunities (e.g., training courses) so they can build their expertise and in doing so facilitate agency efforts to fulfill their business mandates. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is no different in this regard. While professional development opportunities are invaluable, and while the Cabinet offers a number of trainings to its staff, currently there exists no comprehensive training curricula to help professionals and paraprofessionals systematically grow their knowledge and skills and ensure KYTC maintains a robust portfolio of technical competencies across the organization. The inconsistent and ad hoc manner in which trainings are made available in turn produces unevenness in the distribution of knowledge and skills across the Cabinet. To address the challenge, researchers at the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) were asked to develop training curricula for different subject-matter areas. Before devising these curricula, researchers examined practices and programs in place at other state DOTs which are designed to improve professional development as well as the trainings currently available from at or through the Cabinet. Additionally, previous course offerings and attendance figures were analyzed to understand which trainings have proven the most valuable. Based on these analyses, researchers prepared training curricula for five categories: construction, maintenance, roadway design, project management, and section engineers. Within each category, curricula identify training opportunities for personnel classified as entry, mid-level, and advanced. Undoubtedly, the curricula outlined in this report serve only as a starting point; they will need to undergo refinement as the needs of both KYTC and its employees continue to evolve.