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In an effort to raise public transportation’s profile in the eyes of a future generation of workers, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and transit agencies in Toronto plan to host separate events designed to expose students to potential transport careers.

APTA has slated May 12 as National Public Transportation Career Day, the association’s national workforce development initiative aimed at introducing kindergarten through 12th grade students to careers in the transportation industry. APTA is encouraging its members to organize outreach activities that day for youth in their immediate service areas.

The goal: that every transit agency, private transit company and private business member hosts an activity to showcase industry talents and expose students to the vast array of career opportunities in public transit, APTA officials said in a prepared statement.

“This is the opportunity to market transit careers to the next generation of prospective workers and the change to mentor and teach the nation’s youth how to apply their individual skills to the public transportation industry,” officials said.

Meanwhile, the Ontario members of the Canadian Urban Transit Association, the Toronto Transit Commission and Metrolinx plan to host a regional youth summit on sustainable transportation in August at Ryerson University in Toronto.

“We hope to attract a broad selection of youth and young professionals from across Ontario with interests in sustainable transportation, and help lay the groundwork for them to become the next generation of advocates and experts in the field,” Metrolinx officials said in a prepared statement.

Participants will be selected through an application process, which requires demonstration of interest in public and sustainable transportation. The agencies anticipate 40 to 50 students will be chosen to participate.