Alstom announces endowment of scholarship at Alfred State College, long-time partner of the company’s manufacturing plant in Hornell, NY

The scholarship fund will be available to juniors and seniors in the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Technology majors, helping remove financial barriers so that the region’s students may follow their dreams and enter engineering and related fields. Alstom’s donation will be distributed over five years, with the endowed scholarship existing in perpetuity.

“Alfred State has long been a source of exceptional engineering talent for Hornell,” said Sylvain Bouthière, Alstom Hornell’s Site Managing Director. “Their graduates bring curiosity, drive and a spirit of innovation that strengthens our teams and shapes the future of our site. This endowed scholarship reflects our commitment not only to expanding access to well-paying careers in advanced manufacturing, but also to empowering the next generation of thinkers and builders who will define the future of mobility.”

“As mass transit continues to grow across North America, Alstom has been investing in partnerships with colleges and universities in the region to ensure that we will have the talent we need to continue to grow and thrive,” said Dani Simons, Vice President for Public Affairs, Alstom Americas. “Alfred State is a great example of an institution with a clear mission to prepare students for exciting careers. We are thrilled to build on our long-standing partnership with them and support their efforts to give more students access to engineering degrees.” 

“We are excited to continue our longstanding partnership with Alstom with this endowed scholarship,” said Alfred State President Dr. Steven Mauro. “The scholarships that will result from this endowment will support our engineering technology students as they near completion of their degrees and prepare to join the workforce. We look forward to future collaborations and strengthening the connection between our organizations, the region, and beyond.”

A long-standing partnership

Alstom has had a long relationship with the college, from offering applied learning experiences across engineering, business and construction management programs, to hosting students on our site for tours and demonstrations. In keeping with ASC’s reputation as an institution that creates a strong classroom-to-career pipeline, Alstom leaders also serve on college advisory boards to ensure that academic programs remain aligned with evolving industry expectations.

From 2021 through early 2025, Alstom partnered with Alfred State to bring $1.4 million in federal workforce development funding to the area from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Appalachian Regional Commission. The grant supported a training program that took place on-site at Alstom.

Alstom’s Hornell campus consists of four manufacturing plants and constitutes the largest rail manufacturing facility in the United States. Recent and ongoing projects include 28 high-speed trainsets for Amtrak, 130 streetcars for the Philadelphia-area transit system, and propulsion for 1,165 subway cars for New York City Transit. More than 520 people—including many Alfred State alumni—work there.

Alstom is a leading rolling stock and rail services company in the U.S., having delivered more than 12,000 new or renovated vehicles for domestic rail agencies and automated people movers (APM) for airports. Alstom is also the number one private rail operator in the country, where it operates and/or maintains more than 10 APM and commuter rail systems.

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