Wabtec Corporation (NYSE: WAB), a leading technology supplier for the freight and transit rail industries, announced today its locomotive plant in Marhowrah, Bihar was recognized for the Best Skill Development Program at the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS)-Leapvault CLO Awards India. The award honors the investment Wabtec made in its employees through learning and skill development initiatives.

“It is an honor to be ranked by this respected authority on workplace and employee development,” said Sajid Iqbal, Wabtec’s Vice President of Human Resources in India. “Wabtec’s success starts with our people. We are committed to empowering our workforce through robust learning and development opportunities that help all employees reach their full potential.”

Wabtec’s award-winning program is based on a teaming concept. Employees on the factory floor were provided with decision-making tools, which empowered individuals in the team to share responsibilities and drive continuous improvement in safety, quality, delivery, maintenance, and engagement. The skill-development program provided employees a multi-level progression framework. Employees could grow in their careers by passing written tests, practical assessments, and personal interviews.

“The program is improving the team’s performance on the factory floor,” said Shankar Dhar, Vice President of Operations at Wabtec’s Marhowrah plant. “We are seeing a 31 percent improvement in the skill level of employees since the plant began operations in 2018. More important, this results-oriented training is driving customer satisfaction, expanding the capabilities of our factory, and enabling our employees to grow in their careers.”

The state-of-the-art Marhowrah factory began operations in September 2018 and has delivered more than 350 locomotives to Indian Railways. The 500,000-sq-ft plant uses lean manufacturing processes enabling the team to deliver 120 locomotives a year. Today, more than 70 percent of the facility’s workforce is from Marhowrah and its surrounding communities, and over 25 percent of the workforce is female. Wabtec’s partnership with both global and local suppliers has helped establish an integrated ecosystem, enabling a fast ramp up of local manufacturing and creating more than 5,000 direct and indirect jobs across India.

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