Amtrak to expand apprenticeship programme due to $8 million FRA grant

It has been announced that Amtrak have received a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) $8 million grant which will enable Amtrak to advance its new apprenticeship programme. The programme, launched in March 2020, will be rolled out and implemented nationally, offering a three-year career track for personal and professional advancement. With training hubs in Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Wilmington, and Beech Grove, the grant will enable the programme to train over 600 employees in the next three to five years.

“Amtrak envisions an innovative apprenticeship programme that merges the best aspects of training with the latest in railroad technology, with one key objective in mind: the creation of a highly skilled, qualified, and engaged workforce,” Stephen Gardner, President and CEO of Amtrak, said. “Helping us meet our staffing goals well into the future, we would like to thank the FRA for allowing Amtrak to invest in and grow its talented workforce and our union partners for making this all happen.”

“This FY21 CRISI grant will mean more good-paying jobs for Americans as the employment opportunities and re-training of existing employees will increase Amtrak staffing and result in better service for riders,” Amit Bose FRA Administrator, said. “Workforce development programmes like this one are essential to maximise the unprecedented rail investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”

“As the nation’s largest transportation labour federation, we know that new worker training and apprenticeship opportunities will help fortify Amtrak’s hiring and retention pipeline,” Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO, said. “We applaud the Biden Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration for investing in Amtrak’s workforce and creating good-paying jobs in the passenger rail industry.”

Creating a talent pipeline for existing and new employees, the programme provides a career track for personal and professional advancement at Amtrak. The grant follows a launch of Amtrak’s Apprenticeship Pilot Programme earlier this year which aimed to create a talent pipeline for existing and new employees. The grant will allow the team to expand the programme more rapidly across additional crafts and locations.