Feb. 7, 2006 ( 06-047)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News Contact: Kim Stich, (785) 296-3585

Training improves efficiency for counties, KDOT

Training for county public transportation employees to develop technical and management skills will greatly improve efficiency for county government as well as the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).

To help achieve this, Secretary of Transportation Deb Miller signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Feb. 7 in Topeka with the Kansas County Highway Association to provide five courses in the Executive Development Program. This program will assist transportation employees receive training and work together on county roadways.

"KDOT's Bureau of Local Projects regularly works with counties on road-related issues and funding," said Secretary Miller. "By providing these employees an opportunity to learn important skills, county governments can operate more efficiently and provide improved service to the traveling public."

Currently, the focus is to provide a training program for county employees. In the future, the goal is for the program to also include city and state employees.

There are four parts to the program - Road Scholar: Technical Skills; Advanced Road Scholar: Supervisory Skills; Master Road Scholar: Executive Development Program; and County Engineer: Certificate Program. KDOT will provide five of the 10 courses in the Master Road Scholar section with the first KDOT workshop to take place later this month.

The cost is $35 to register for each level of the program and approximately $100 for each workshop. For more information or to register for the program, contact Rose Lichtenberg, Local Transportation Assistance Program, at 785-864-2594.

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