Norfolk Southern launches scholarship to meet rising demand for vocational jobs

ATLANTA​, May 7, 2025 - To help build the railroad of the future, Norfolk Southern (NYSE​: NSC) is offering a new Trades on Track scholarship, providing financial assistance to vocational students within the railroad's 22-state network. Funds can be used for tuition, computer equipment, tools, and other important expenses.

The trend: Vocational school enrollment is up over 15% from pre-pandemic numbers and experiencing a second year of double-digit growth, according to the National Student Clearinghouse, a Virginia-based nonprofit. Those numbers outpace other types of enrollments. At the same time, demand to ship goods on rail is increasing, providing opportunities for workers at railroads.

Why rail? From welders to conductors to electrical engineers, and so much more, rail provides multiple opportunities for long-term success. Norfolk Southern is already investing in skilled workers:

• Its Norfolk Southern Training Center in McDonough, Georgia, was the first American Welding Society accredited testing facility in the state.
• It's the only Class I railroad with an AI training program using virtual reality.
• It recently provided $350,000 in funding to the City of Refuge for construction and equipment of its new welding training center.

Apply by Sept. 30 at the Trades on Track Scholarship website for one of the scholarships - each worth $5,000. Atlanta-based SkillPointe Foundation is overseeing the program, which is open to new or current students, those looking to reskill or make a career change. The foundation works to grow skilled talent pipelines for organizations across the country.

What they're saying:

"Norfolk Southern moves the American economy, and our trade colleagues are helping us build the railroad of the future. To ensure continued success, we are investing in the next generation of railroaders through industry-leading training, competitive benefits and compensation, and challenges that provide opportunities for long-term growth." - Kristin Wong, Director Norfolk Southern Foundation & Community Impact

"We are honored to partner with an industry leader like Norfolk Southern to highlight skilled trades career opportunities in the vital and dynamic railroad industry. This new program expands access to training for aspiring workers while helping build the workforce needed to keep America's economy on track." - Alvin Townley, Founding Executive Director SkillPointe Foundation.

Media Inquiries:
Norfolk Southern: media.relations@nscorp.com
SkillPointe Foundation: Alvin Townley, ATownley@SkillPointeFoundation.org, 404-680-6008

About Norfolk Southern
Since 1827, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and its predecessor companies have safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, it operates a 22-state freight transportation network. Committed to furthering sustainability, Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid approximately 15 million tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. Its dedicated team members deliver approximately 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S. It serves a majority of the country's population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as major ports across the Gulf Coast and Great Lakes. Learn more by visiting www.NorfolkSouthern.com.  

About the SkillPointe Foundation
The SkillPointe Foundation partners with organizations like Norfolk Southern, The Home Depot Foundation, GE Vernova Foundation, and other industry and philanthropic leaders to provide scholarships to aspiring workers seeking skills training for high-demand careers not requiring a four-year degree. Specifically, the SkillPointe Foundation works with donors to manage strategic scholarship programs that increase economic mobility for workers while building the skilled workforce needed by American industry. In less than four years of operations, the Foundation has raised nearly $5M and funded more than 1,100 scholarships nationwide.