Two important training courses from the National Transit Institute (NTI) will be held in conjunction with BusCon 2018 at the Indiana Convention Center Oct. 1 to 3 in Indianapolis.

Kicking off Monday, Oct. 1 at Noon, the “Overview of Transit Procurement for Senior Leadership” course is a revised half-day seminar for non-procurement senior leadership and board members that offers senior leadership a better understanding of the rationale, functions, and general process of third-party contracting for FTA grantees. It provides an overview of major elements of an acceptable procurement program. Some of the themes of the seminar are competence and training, teaming and partnering internally and externally, supporting advance planning of procurements, and adhering to pre-established procedures.

Continuing on Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 8 a.m., the “Transit Asset Management Implementation for Tier II Providers and Sponsors” course provides an overview of and implementation guidance for Tier II providers intending to comply with TAM Final Rule (49 CFR 625). The course is intended to outline the requirements, underlying TAM principles, improve transit asset management understanding and practices among smaller providers, and provide support to Tier II parties charged with implementation of the asset management requirements, including: Group TAM Plan Sponsors, such as State Departments of Transportation or Metropolitan Planning Organizations; sub recipients with more than 100 vehicles in bus only revenue service; and sub recipients with 100 or fewer vehicles in revenue service that have chosen to opt-out of a Group TAM Plan.

The course is directed at mid- and senior-level managers from TAM Plan sponsoring agencies (Group Plan Sponsors and Group Plan Opt-outs), who will be responsible for the implementation of the TAM Final Rule within their agencies.

“NTI is pleased to provide its training at BusCon for the first time,” said Paul Larrousse, director at NTI. “Providing this training at BusCon allows NTI to reach the transit operators and vendors with training as part of their attendance at this event.”

Space for both courses is limited to 50 participants each, with both courses currently filling fast.

BusCon, North America’s Largest Bus Show, will again offer hundreds of exhibitors and plenty of vehicles, ranging from transit buses to motorcoaches and cutaways to vans, as well as some of the latest technologies available to operators on the market today. In addition, BusCon also offers top-notch education, touching on topics including electric vehicles, autonomous shuttles, and more, as well as the return of the Transit Maintenance Forum (TMF), which is aimed at senior maintenance professionals. Early Bird registration for the show closes Sept. 6.

To RSVP for the NTI sessions or to register for BusCon or TMF, click here.