Industry struggling to interest youths in working on the railroad

For an idea of the labor shortage in today's railroad industry, click into Union Pacific's Web site. The railroad's plea is simple and direct: "We need good people and we need them now."

From Arkansas to Oregon, Iowa to Wyoming and in Northern California cities such as Oakland and Roseville, freight railroads are hanging the "Help Wanted" sign to meet the growing demand for rail service and to fill the gap opened as an aging work force rides the rails to retirement.

"The railroad career is not for everyone. There's traveling. You're away from home," said Kelly Donley, spokeswoman for the Association of American Railroads. "But there's no better-paying, secure industry, and it's not a job that's going to be outsourced. The jobs are here in America."

The trouble is, when young people think of railroads, they might think of shoveling coal and billowing steam. That sepia-toned image, however, has given way to a mix of computers, electronics and mechanics.

Wages currently average slightly more than $67,000 a year, according to the railroad association, which projects 80,000 new rail technicians will be needed over the next five years even though technological advances will winnow the demand for labor.

Educational requirements vary widely, from a high-school diploma or its equivalent in entry-level positions to two-year technical degrees or more for diesel mechanics, to engineering or science degrees for operations managers.

Union Pacific, the nation's largest railroad, looks for applicants with a journeyman's card, military training or on-the-job experience in most cases but will provide on-the-job training for entry-level positions.

The railroad also recruits college graduates with majors in accounting, computer science, marketing, production management and other fields.

The positions are in places such as Cheyenne, Wyo., and Pocatello, Idaho; and Roseville, Calif., home to one of the nation's largest train yards and the biggest one on the West Coast.

Finding the talent needed to meet the demand of a multibillion-dollar industry, however, has been difficult.

"While people are interested in railroads [as a career], we're still searching for qualified employees," said Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis.

Railroading provides the type of secure, steady pay that allows a worker to "buy a house, start a family, pay taxes," said Michael Halbern, a professor at Sierra College near Sacramento, Calif, who teaches a new wave of tech-savvy railroaders at the college's Computer Integrated Electronics-Mechatronics Program.

While wages average $67,000 a year, compensation rises to more than $90,000 with benefits, according to the railroad association, based in Washington, D.C.

Oddly, that was part of the problem, say those in the rail industry. Workers enticed by the good pay and long-term job security grew gray in their jobs.

In 2001, employment law changed, allowing workers with 30 or more years of experience to retire at age 60. That triggered a wave of departures that the industry is still recovering from, said railroad officials.

When those workers retired, not only manpower disappeared but also years of experience on the tracks and in the locomotive.

The retirements were keenly felt because railroads had trimmed their labor forces as freight shipments moved to air carriers and trucks, said Dan Williams, a Sacramento branch manager at the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board.

Myriad other factors also contributed to boosting the demand for railroad workers: the growth in container shipping; limits on how many hours long-haul truckers could drive; soaring gas prices; the Wyoming coal boom; and the demand for Midwestern corn for ethanol development.

Union Pacific found a few good men and women by looking to the military for recruits, Davis said. The railroad has been named top military-friendly employer the past two years by online career guide GIJobs.net for its outreach to and hiring of former military personnel.

Still, the demanding, physical work, the long hours often miles from home and an outdated image of the industry discourage some prospects.

"The challenge has been getting young people to think about railroads as a career opportunity. When they think about railroads, they think about shoveling coal and steam engines," said Donley of the railroad association.

Today, however, technology permeates the industry from the locomotive's cab to the way freight is handled and shipped.

"[The locomotive] is a rolling computer. ... This is not just 'grab a wrench and turn a nut,' " Halbern said.

"The railroads have the same needs as other companies. They are trying to find a place where they can attract employees to keep the infrastructure alive."