“#OurAVFuture: Indiana” Event Includes Remarks from State Officials, Educators, and Local Employers
Indianapolis, Ind.— Today, the Partnership for Transportation Innovation and Opportunity (PTIO) – whose members include American Trucking Associations, Daimler, FedEx, Ford, Lyft, Toyota Motor North America, Uber, and Waymo – joined officials from Indiana’s State government, local business leaders, educators, and other stakeholders, for a roundtable discussion in which PTIO solicited input regarding integration of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in Indiana and the potential opportunities available to the state’s workforce.
“PTIO’s mission is to develop a data-based – as well as local and regional – understanding of the opportunities and challenges autonomous vehicles will create for our nation’s workforce,” stated PTIO Executive Director Maureen Westphal. “Our members were grateful for the opportunity to explore, with Indiana policymakers, employers, educators, and other committed stakeholders, the critical local component of this nationwide discussion to begin the process of determining the best path forward for Indiana workers.”
The roundtable discussion, which was hosted at Salesforce Tower, included remarks from Senator Michael Crider (Indiana Senate Transportation Chair), Representative Holli Sullivan (Indiana House Transportation Chair), Secretary Blair Milo (Career Connections and Talent), Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson (Gary, Ind.), and Commissioner Joe McGuinness (Indiana Department of Transportation) along with representatives from Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb’s Workforce Cabinet, the congressional offices of Sen. Todd Young, Rep. Susan Brooks, and Rep. Andre Carson, Indiana and Purdue Universities, ConexusIN, Cummins, Indiana Manufacturers Association, Indiana Motor Truck Association, Project Lead the Way, and local representatives from PTIO member companies ATA, FedEx, and Toyota Motor North America.
“Indiana is a state with a strong history of collaboration among business, labor, and the public sector, as well as an active and engaged workforce,” Westphal continued. “While we believe we have sufficient time to be thoughtful in our approach regarding the transition to an AV future, we know that timely collective actions must be taken to protect states’ economies and their workers, as well as to understand and implement the preparations that are required.”
In 2019, PTIO will continue its nationwide listening tour to gain a more thorough understanding of unique state and regional factors, to determine research needs in developing a data-driven understanding, to explore where collaborations can be formed, and determine what specific actions are needed to support the communities in which AVs could have the greatest impact on the workforce.
To read a full summary of the Indiana discussion, click here.
To learn more about PTIO, visit OurAVFuture.org and follow @OurAVFuture on Twitter.
