In today's world, a skilled mechanic working on public transit vehicles might use a laptop computer instead of a wrench to make repairs.

"I can tell you that the bus of today and the light rail system of today is a lot different than what it was 10 years [ago]," said Paul P. Skoutelas, Port Authority chief executive officer. "It is in everyone's interest to make sure we have skilled workers to repair them."

Yesterday, state Labor and Industry Secretary Stephen Schmerin announced that the Port Authority and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85 have joined Keystone Transit Career Ladder Partnership, a statewide initiative launched in 2001 with federal money to provide job training to enhance the technology skills of transit workers.

The initiative is a partnership of transit agencies, labor unions and the state AFL-CIO.

Robert G. Garraty, statewide project coordinator, said the program began in Philadelphia with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority and its transit workers union.

With the addition of Pittsburgh, the effort will expand to smaller transit agencies across the state. This year, the program will receive $1.2 million.

"Today, I look at the young guys as technicians," said Warren George, international president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, at a gathering on the 31st floor of the Regional Enterprise Center, Downtown.

"They have to be a technician because of the computers, the technology changes and everything that goes with it," he said.

The Keystone program, a pilot program, is sponsored by a national group, Community Transportation Development Center, which is developing similar partnerships in Houston, Miami, San Francisco and New York.The new training comes as the authority continues to upgrade its bus and light rail fleet.

At yesterday's regular meeting, the Port Authority board approved the purchase of 60 low-floor buses from Gillig Corp. at a cost of $20 million.