HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — It took Dustin Hatfield less than five months to be trained for his new career, the Herald-Dispatch reported.
He underwent a five-week training program at the Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and then 12 weeks of on-the-job training.
The newlywed and Milton resident is now a railroad conductor for CSX Transportation, and the most inconvenient thing about getting off to a new start was driving back and forth to Cincinnati for a month and paying for hotels, he said.
Beginning in January, area residents can get the same training in Huntington.
CSX is partnering with the Marshall Community and Technical College, the Nick J. Rahall Appalachian Transportation Institute and the Cabell County Career Technology Center to offer regional training for railroad conductors.
Now, Cincinnati has the closest training program, said Bob McClain, director of the Career Technology Center.
“The bottom line is keeping people here and employed,” he said.
Marshall’s role will be to find student candidates from throughout West Virginia and Kentucky. The Career Technology Center will provide the space for the training.
CSX has donated two rail cars for the program to be used in the training. It also will train instructors and donated some equipment.
The West Virginia Development Office donated a $130,000 matching grant, and the transportation institute will give about $200,000 as well, according to a grant written to the state requesting funds.
“We’ve leveraged and tripled the amount of resources,” said Diana Long, associate provost of Workforce Development for the Marshall Community and Technical College. “It’s good use of everyone’s dollar. And after one year, we’re self-sufficient. We just needed start-up money.”
Part-time instructors and a coordinator and recruiter must be hired for the five-week training program, scheduled to begin in January 2003.
Transportation workers haven’t been able to take advantage of traditional education because of the unusual hours they work, Long said. The plan is to eventually offer certificate programs for various transportation specialties in the air, river, road and rail industries.
Related associate’s degrees — in transportation applied trades, and applied science management technology or information technology — should be in place by the end of next year, Long said. Students then can opt for “2 +2” programs for related bachelor’s degrees and even go on to graduate degrees. Eventually, the community college and university will have plotted tracks for those in the transportation fields, Long said.
“We have some options for adult learners, like a Board of Regents degree, but they don’t go anywhere,” she said.
Railroad conducting is a good job that people don’t always consider, Long said.
Hatfield, who now works out of Russell, Ky., agreed. He said he made about $670 a week during his on-the-job training and got a solid increase when his training was out of the way.
“It’s a good career, and you get great benefits — retirement and health insurance,” he said “In this area, there aren’t many good jobs. It’s a great opportunity, and you don’t have to go to school forever and a day. College doesn’t guarantee you a job. This does.”