Comment: how to engage the next generation

US rail provider Amtrak has lately found itself in some unexpected and exclusive company. In 2023, Amtrak earned a place on Forbes’ 2023 list of best employers for new graduates for the second year in a row, joining some of America’s most recognisable, fastest-rising and progressive brands.

Appearing on the Forbes list of best employers for new graduates bodes well for Amtrak’s (and the rail industry’s) ability to attract and hold on to younger workers during an ongoing talent crunch. But it also underscores the urgency with which rail companies must address that talent shortage, and the challenge for them to attract members of Gen Z and its successor, Generation Alpha.