Are We Behind in Transport Education?
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George Wilmot surveys the position in the USA
AGREAT deal of attention is now given to a whole complex of problems connected with training and education in transport. Surprisingly, nearly all the thinking on these issues has been entirely insular. But I find it is always useful to compare our problems with those overseas. Such an outward-looking review provides guide-lines and stimulation for fresh approaches.
In recent months I have met some of those concerned with transport education and training in the United States. After much questioning and exploring a mass of material, it is evident to me that their problems are very similar to ours. Their pattern is one of haphazard courses of studies showing a lack of cohesiveness— and transport management has a low professional status.
But a superficial glance at American transport provision seems to make nonsense of this view. Provision of adult, technical and commercial education and indeed the whole range of adult education is provided by the State, and privately by universities, which are vast entities. It is normal to proceed from high school to a university but the level of first degrees is perhaps comparable with British sixth-form work—only in the higher degree courses does the study become in any way similar to British universities. At many American universities, transport studies appear to be lavish. It is, moreover, easy to reach a quick conclusion that American transport operators, especially in road goods transport. are greatly concerned with the need for study and convinced of the importance of gaining qualifications. But this appearance of maturity in transport education is illusory.
A different story A report commissioned by the American Society of Traffic and Transportation (a very rough equivalent of the Institute of Transport) and based on a full-scale research over twelve months tells a different story. The conclusions are worth quoting in full: I. Not enough schools and universities offer transport curricula; 2. Present curricula are not adequate to fulfil today's distribution requirements; 3. The number of students in the field is not large enough to meet the industry's personnel needs; 4. Less than half of those graduating with degrees in transportation actually work in transportation.
The report itself treads familiar ground when it urges the desperate need for planning in transport education and training. It stresses the inadequacies of management training in transport and the general apathy shown towards the subject by both educational providers and sometimes the operators themselves.
Yet the report—it also deals with Canada —does state "only 245 of the 1,230 U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities either offer or plan to offer transport courses". The italics are mine and serve to emphasise the contrast between advertised provision and actual results.
The basic facts The largest and best-known transport department in U.S.A. is the Transportation Center of the huge Northwestern University in Illinois which has separate headquarters in both Evanston and Chicago. Mr. James Sloss, research consultant at the Center, has guided me towards the basic facts behind a prospectus of seemingly abundant provision. Only 12 students completed the degree course for a M.Sc. (Transportation) last year and it is likely that only 10 will conclude their studies successfully this summer.
More disquieting is the fact that this course, one of the very few which is in any way equivalent to a British degree course, seems to be showing a persistent decline in numbers. Three students are reading for a Doctorate in Transportation but there is little hope of any expansion in numbers for this higher degree. One of the big problems is that the lower level first degree in business studies did contain a number of transport options hut these have been quietly withdrawn recently, ostensibly because of lack of support.
Nor is the position much brighter in regard to the more familiar pattern of parttime courses organised by the Transportation Center at the Chicago headquarters (or campus). Six to ten courses are normally arranged for the first two semesters (September to the end of January) attracting about 100 students each year. Many start with high aspirations to take a part-time degree but, not surprisingly, since it involves the marathon length of a 10-year course of study, only some eight or nine are expected to finish the course this year. Rather more continue for five years to gain a Certificate in Transport Studies but here the figure only averages about 20. The vast majority enter for one course in one specialised subject and are rarely seen again.
The Transportation Center, like some of the new departments being set up in British universities, is basically concerned with research. In this field it is well ahead of any British counterpart. Established in 1954 and having a current annual budget of 350,000 dollars, the Center is making a valuable contribution to road transport thought and attitudes. Its library houses probably the finest transport collection in the world with its 100,000 volumes together with sets of 970 periodicals and 1,700 sets of annual reports of transport concerns. But teaching students plays an insignificant role in the work of the Institute.
Elsewhere the story can be briefly told. The work is spasmodic with poor support for many courses which seem to be offered more out of hope than of real potential. The University of Tennessee, at Knoxville, specialises in road transport and has 40 students annually taking the first preliminary degree course. Stamford University, Connecticut, stresses transport in its School of Business course and the Transportation Insitute of the Texas University has a small programme of courses. Syracuse University in New York State offers eight courses of a year's duration while transport courses have limited support at Seattle in Washington. The list could be continued in decreasing proportion. . • .
Long way to go
It is against this background of relatively unco-ordinated provision, a general apathy towards the few who have gained a qualification in transport together with little prospect of any concerted action by the universityproviders that the American Society of Traffic and Transportation commissioned their report. "Towards Excellence In Traffic and Transportation Managementis the motto of the ASTT with whom the main hopes of improving the position of transport education must at the moment rest. But the Society have a long way to go. They were formed in 1946 after a 20-year campaign as an education committee of the Associated Traffic Clubs of America. The first full-time staff were appointed in 1959 and the first publication of a journal was read in 1961. Members are now mainly elected on the results of the Society's own examinations (thus attaining the rank of certified member —perhaps a dubious honour in British usage). Some 800 of the 2,000 members have been elected as a result of examination success. The examination is divided into four written papers: (1) transport economics; (2) general business including marketing and economic theory; (3) traffic and transportation management; and (4) transporta
tion law and regulation—plus the writing of a very short "research" paper of about 5,000 words.
The Society is thus making great strides and is becoming an important pressure group for the betterment of training and education in transport. But it still needs to gain the confidence of universities and other educational bodies, since these organizations do not seem convinced that examination standards are sufficiently high—and the Society still needs to gain the whole-hearted support of the industry. The serious nature of the Society's purpose is, moreover, some
times obscured by an "alumni-club" image. All members are urged to obtain the Society's cuff-links, tie bar, money clip and cigarette lighter. While this type of moment° is a part of the American way of life, the Society might improve its image by paying less attention to this sort of thing.
This quick sketch of American problems indicates that we are not alone in our particular problems of transport education and training. It may be some comfort to note that the U.S.A. are not really any further along the road to "professionalizing" transport. But that's cold comfort and not an excuse for relaxing. Indeed, it should act as a spur to go ahead and consolidate a great deal of work and thought.
A lead?
Spurred on by the new interest in these problems and by the beneficial effects of the Industrial Training Act, this country could give a lead in transport training and educa tion. The fruits? A more efficient, more imaginative administration and operation of transport at all levels, so generating a more prosperous economy.
Failure to realize the problem of the need to create more professional thinking in transport and allowing the opportunity to slip by will result in our being left far behind. In the ferment of thought on inland transport in the U.S.A. the need for training and education has been—at last—realized. And progress could be swift. The Common Market countries, which need separate analysis, are ahead in transport training and education and have translated a number of ideas into action. And Japan is suddenly making rapid strides in this field. It is clearly not the moment to be complacent, for the fact is that the leading technological countries are no worse than ourselves in providing education and training in transport. They will soon be better, unless we move with greater speed.