Huntington, West Virginia's Marshall Community and Technical College's Railroad Conductor Training Program will open its newly-renovated 10,000-square-foot training facility during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 EST on Friday, Jan. 13, on the second floor of Latta's, 348 15th St.

Because of increased demand for space, the program moved its offices to the building from the Cabell County Career and Technology Center, where it has been since October 2002.

The program is a five-week pre-employment training class that guarantees a job interview with a Class I Railroad upon completion. Employment is not guaranteed, but 98 percent of the students who enter the program graduate and begin working for a Class I Railroad two days later, according to Erika Bailey, financial aid coordinator for the program.

The program started in January 2003 with the expectation of training 65 conductors a year. The program now trains more than 400 conductors a year.

Speakers during the ceremony include Dr. Vicki Riley, president of Marshall Community and Technical College, state Sen. Robert Plymale, D-Wayne, and James L. Skidmore, chancellor of the Community and Technical College System of West Virginia.