Alstom Expands Local Academic Partnerships to Strengthen Rail Workforce

Alstom is expanding its work with colleges and universities near its offices and manufacturing sites in New York and Pennsylvania to help prepare the next generation of rail and public transit professionals. The move follows significant new U.S. orders and increased hiring across manufacturing, operations, engineering, and management roles.

Alfred State College

At Alfred State College in Western New York, part of the State University of New York system, Alstom will donate $50,000 to endow a scholarship fund for students majoring in engineering technology. The college is near Alstom’s manufacturing facility in Hornell, NY, where the company and school have collaborated for years to support hands-on technical education and workforce development.

“Modernizing and expanding transit and rail has many benefits, including creating good American jobs,” said Dani Simons, Alstom vice president of communications and public affairs, Americas. “From high-school graduates who want to be skilled welders to master’s students who dream of building more energy efficient engines, we want more students to understand that this is a growing field and there are real opportunities to build a career and to be part of shaping the future of the U.S. rail industry.”

University of Pennsylvania

Alstom also has become a founding sponsor of the Transportation Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania, an effort led by Leslie Richards, former Pennsylvania transportation secretary and former general manager of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. The initiative is designed to bridge academic research and real-world transportation needs by providing agencies with policy and planning guidance.

“Alstom’s partnership is invaluable as we work to bridge transportation research and real-world practice,” said Richards. “Their experience on factory floors in Pennsylvania and across transit systems worldwide brings perspective that sharpens our research and informs our teaching.”

New York University

In New York City, Alstom leaders have joined the advisory board of the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management, which connects academic research with transportation policy while helping develop future transportation leaders for the New York region and beyond.

“Industry partnerships are key to advancing meaningful research and developing the next generation of leaders,” said Sarah Kaufman, executive director of the NYU Rudin Center. “Our collaboration with Alstom, which has a strong presence in New York, has brought real-world perspectives to our research, fresh ideas to our convenings, and hands-on opportunities for our students. We look forward to deepening this partnership in the years ahead.”