POLICY

Recommendations for State and Local Governments

Objective

Autonomous vehicles (AVs)– otherwise known as SAE International Levels 4- and 5-capable vehicles – present a generational opportunity to create safer roads, promote accessibility, ease supply chain challenges, and create new jobs for American workers. It is imperative that a public policy framework be put in place that supports a clear pathway to AV deployment and creates jobs across the United States. These measures should take into account supportive actions for investment in training, transition and job creation programs, upskilling, and levers to encourage the expansion of investment in AV technology, building, and deployment that will create workforce opportunities now and in the future.

Guiding Principles

  • Continued and expanded deployment across all autonomous vehicle modalities is inherent in solving for transitions and inspiring successful investments in the workforce.

  • Market penetration and scaling of autonomous vehicles will happen over time and any transitions in the workforce will occur gradually.

  • Workforce impacts will not be uniform. They will be unique to the type of AV being deployed, the geographic area it is deployed in, the type of cargo or passengers being transported, and the AV operator’s commercial relationships with public and private sector partners.

  • Enabling rules that address operational and safety issues should be developed on a parallel track with workforce programs or initiatives.

  • Efforts to address workforce opportunities should be the subject of open and transparent processes with a balance of government, worker, and industry representatives engaged.

Options for States to Prepare for AV Workforce Opportunities

INVITE STAKEHOLDER INPUT

Establish a workforce innovation committee composed of a balanced group of government, worker, and industry representatives appointed by the state governor. This committee would serve as a partnership between government, workers, and industry to prepare workforce recommendations as the AV industry advances. This committee can be used to identify and accomplish a variety of workforce-related policy goals, including:

  • Providing a venue for industry to share information with government and labor partners about existing and upcoming workforce needs;

  • Supporting workforce transition programs, including community and technical college programs, transition assistance, best practices, and research; and

  • Advising on funding strategies for workforce programs.

CONDUCT RESEARCH

Conduct and/or fund research projects in coordination with industry to analyze state-specific workforce needs and opportunities. For example, a state may evaluate how AV jobs will be created due to the some of the following factors: geographic location, workforce strengths, access to ports and interstates, community college training programs, existing truck routes, other special attributes of a state that will lend themselves to job creation. Identify ways to leverage these needs and opportunities to create jobs throughout the AV ecosystem.

BUILD PROGRAMS

Create new programs, curriculum, and/or enhance existing workforce programs across the state. Leverage existing programs and funding to optimize workforce opportunities in the AV industry based on research, deployment timelines, and best practices.

INVEST IN THE FUTURE

Establish grant programs for community colleges, universities, and other educational institutions to implement autonomous vehicle-related training programs to ensure workers are taking advantage of high-quality jobs of the future.