FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Indian River State College (IRSC) is all aboard on offering railway training to help a growing rail industry.
The program, called the Railway Academy with Interactive Learning (RAIL) Initiative, will be available at the college's main campus in Fort Pierce.
"The money is there. The innovation is there," Roderick Jackson with Global Technology and Business Solutions (GTABS), said. "We ask people to really open their minds up and really consider rail as a really strong viable [career] option."
GTABS is a certified minority-owned engineering firm that provides electrical, civil and signal engineering solutions to the freight and passenger light rail transportation industry.
"What is the need we're forecasting for railway workers?" WPTV reporter Joel Lopez asked.
"Primarily, we've come to find that railway workers are retiring or aging out of the system at an alarming rate," Jackson said.
Jackson said the railway industry needs qualified workers to fill old and emerging positions.
Through their program, they place people with jobs locally and nationally.
That's why they've partnered with IRSC to train and recruit people on the Treasure Coast.
"We believe we're moving at the speed of business," Dr. Tim Moore the president of IRSC said. "The end goal is a j-o-b as in job."
The 12- to 16-week course will have three tracks: rail management, signal and track design and field services, which include maintenance and even conductor and train operations.
"What we're really doing here is allowing our students to achieve their God-given potential and get into these employment sectors where they can make a good living," Moore said.
He said 77% of IRSC students stay to work in the area, and believes the RAIL program is a win-win for students and the community. Brightline on Monday is expected to officially declare Stuart as the home for its new Treasure Coast station.
"If there are elements like Brightline that are bringing in the case of Stuart multiple millions of dollars in investment here," said Moore. "If that gives our citizens an opportunity to inspire to be in the rail industry, why shouldn't we be doing that?"
The hands-on courses are expected to be offered as soon as this fall.