SMART announces in-house training program for essential positions

Wednesday, December 16, 2020 - 4:00pm

Petaluma, CA – Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) announced at its Board of Directors meeting on Wednesday, December 16th, that SMART will create a new in-house training program for Signal Technicians.

SMART began meeting with local colleges in 2016 to discuss the development of career technical education programs that would teach skills relevant to critical positions at SMART, such as Signal Technician and Vehicle Maintenance Technician. District staff also participated in employer advisory panels hosted by the colleges. SMART has moved forward with developing the new in-house Signal Technician training program as the most efficient way to position SMART to fill these essential jobs.

"It has long been a goal to train and hire qualified local candidates at SMART," said Eric Lucan, Chair of the SMART Board of Directors. "Qualified candidates for these specialized positions have been difficult to find because railroads have not operated in the North Bay for nearly 60 years."

"This program moves us forward in filling mission-critical positions like Signal Technician, that have been so difficult to fill." said SMART Human Resources Manager Lisa Hansley, "We have been working in partnership with our colleges and labor unions, and we are providing our local workforce an exciting opportunity to start a new career in railroad."