NARS - National Academy of Railroad Sciences

slchub wrote:

dieseldog wrote:AMEN!!! Man why didn't you post this about 4 months ago...LOL. Anyone thinking about attending needs to re-read the first post. What is said is absolutly true. Oh they'll paint a rosey picture for yah before the checks been cashed, but after its in
the bank look out. Sure BNSF will pick a hand full of people from the class, but the rest of us saps are left to stand on the side lines trying to figure out what to do next. Make no mistake, I have no sense of entitlement, but its hard not to feel you have a
greater advantage attending a choo choo U. Truth is if you sell yourself well enough during a hiring session, all that money could have been better spent elsewhere...not adding to Rose's bottom line.

This issue has been brought up several times by the guys who work for the Class 1's and ADVISED against paying for your training. I written about it at least three times since 2004. Anyone who is truly intent upon seeking out a new career should always endeavor to research as much as possible before paying out any sums of money for training in which there is no guarantee of a job, only an interview. While many career fields do require technical training which must be learned before being able to work in the field, the RR industry is such a small field that you cannot readily take those skills learned and use it in another field.

It would behoove anyone looking into the RR as a career to look at all of the posts over the past 5 years here in this forum.

Good luck.

Your advise is coming a day late and a dollar short...lol and thats no joke. If I would have known about this website maybe I would have made a better decision or been better informed. Of course once I finished up with class and began trying to land a job...thats when I found this site, along with a few others. Good advise about the search feature on here though. All in all I would NOT recommend NARS to anyone seeking employment with the railroad, especially in these lean times, but why cry over spilled milk? I don't regret meeting some of the finest people that walk the face of this earth. I hope each and every one of them lands a job with the railroad of their choice, because each and every one of them put in 110 percent effort in hopes of gaining employment. Persistance will pay off. Heck I finally landed a gig with UP only to be told the class was cancelled due to the economy. NARS didn't mean anything to UP.

conductbud64 wrote:Kchunter

First, I am not trying to start a fight. I, too am trying to get a Conductor job and I have thought about going to NARS. Do some research, most RRs will not hire you if you live over 100 miles from where you applied, UP is an exception. Aug 2008 is when the economy starting tanking, if you would have been hired either the training class would be cancelled or you would be furloughed after training. Also try http://www.yardlimits.com for some research.

What part of this statement from the NARS application packet did you not understand?

“PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT an employment opportunity nor is it a job referral service. This is strictly an educational opportunity.”

Well if you haven't been to NARS, spent all the money and saw the people change from optimistic on your first day then change to a "I can't be bothered right now" attitude, you tell me- How are you qualified to speak about an experience you've never been involved in? Sure the people at NARS throw that tid-bit at the end about not an employment opportunity but I can assure you of this, kchunter was escorted around the building, given a grand tour, and told not to worry. You go ahead and spend the money. Don't listen to anyone whos been through it...were prolly all full of hot air anyway right? Sure is easy to point at those who attended and say..well the economy was beginning to tank so you would have been furloughed anyway...you got alot of nerve with that one buddy. If our foresight was as good as our hindsight we'd all be millionaires. Kchunter is a good person who is trying his best to support himself and his family and I'm sure he will not mind me speaking for him, along with the long line of others that were given a rosey picture of how things would be when we finished only to be given the shaft. Then we get to hear it from people like yourself who say..well there was no guarantee. Go ahead and fork over the dough..listen to them speak about the endless opportunity, then about 3 weeks in watch everyone that works at that place turn their back on you.

conductbud64 wrote:Kchunter

First, I am not trying to start a fight. I, too am trying to get a Conductor job and I have thought about going to NARS. Do some research, most RRs will not hire you if you live over 100 miles from where you applied, UP is an exception. Aug 2008 is when the economy starting tanking, if you would have been hired either the training class would be cancelled or you would be furloughed after training. Also try http://www.yardlimits.com for some research.

What part of this statement from the NARS application packet did you not understand?

“PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT an employment opportunity nor is it a job referral service. This is strictly an educational opportunity.”

conductbud64
First I did do research, I was given a tour by the director of nars and ask him what my chances of getting a job were he said very good, in fact my son in law just went through it and got hired 3 weeks later. He made it sound so good saying you know the rr will always need conductors and taking this class will get your foot in the door but he never said they would shut the door with my foot in it. As for as a rr not haring you if you live more than 100 miles away 13 of the jobs I applied for were less than that. And I did not get a nars packet so I never say that statement but I did look on their web site and say this “it is up to you to get the job” followed by “thousands of jobs are open right now Some Class 1 Railroads and Short Line Railroads put on their job postings that NARS graduates will be given preference. While others will not take anyone unless, they successfully completed a NARS program”. Sound’s good doesn’t it and dieseldog is right you haven’t taken the class you are not out all the money and time and yes I know I said I got a deal but since then I have not been able to get a job and now I’m losing my house and I know others that have lost their cars. I’m not asking for pity or trying to just put my story out there and maybe help someone who is thinking bout going to nars. Cause it is rough 5 days a week for 6 weeks they throw a lot of info at you very fast and then you pass the 280 question gcore test and you are so happy for yourself and your class mates then apply and get Your credentials are impressive; however, other candidates whose skills, qualifications and previous relevant work experience best matched our staffing need, were selected to advance in the process. That sucks with those words that NARS graduates will be given preference still fresh in your mind and that 6000.00 dollar conductor certificate hanging on the wall. I totally side with tenbaker bnsf is making a killing off this school and they say the whole time this is not a bnsf school but who are they trying to kid all the instructors are bnsf employees they own the building and they have a store there. Like I and others have said if you are thinking about going to nars stop don’t waste your money .And if you haven’t taken the class well.... I’ll leave that alone and don’t get me wrong no one made me take this class and some do get hired but if I could take it back I would.

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conductbud64 wrote:kchunter, the packet is on the NARS website. With your wife working at the community college you should have known it was a “SCAM”.
You will fit right in with railroad management.

And you my friend will remain an internet troll, offering input about things you know nothing of. Now go back to your corner.

.

conductbud64 wrote:

dieseldog wrote:And you my friend will remain an internet troll, offering input about things you know nothing of. Now go back to your corner.

Please stay in Texass

Guess those HR folks at KCS were on to something...you can't even spell TEXAS right...lol. No hard feelings bro, just works me into a froth about the whole NARS fiasco.

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I went there 10 years ago, and got a job before I even finished training at NARS with the BNSF. But only having NARS is not going to help. I already had 2 associate degrees under my belt, and work experience under my belt, because I was 27. But I would not recommend the school to anyone. My last day of class was on a Thursday, the let me take the Hazmat and Hosteling exam one day early, so I can drive back to North Dakota get some things and be in Minneapolis by Monday. i reported for work at Northtown Monday morning. When I was hired 3 weeks into the program, that if I did not pass, the offer would be taken off the table.

Back 10 years ago you needed at least 1 year of college to enter the Program, and pass a BNSF physical ( Which you had to pay $50 bucks for) and background check (Which was free) prior to getting accepted into the program. NARS told me they did this so when guys graduate they knew they would be employable for a RR. They only let about a 12 guys a class back then a ran a new class every 3 weeks. Most guys still did not get hired right out of class, only another guy and myself was employed immediately.

At the time they BNSF did "unofficialy" hire NARS students before hiring of the street and internal transfers.

One thing though the Interview I had with them was stellar, I really knocked it out of the park. THIS WAS THE REASON I GOT THE JOB. My COLLEGE EDUCATION and WORK EXPERIENCE was what did the job. NARS just proved to them I was committed.

Even though I was a succes story, I would say not to go to NARS, unless you have some Military and or College, with blue collaer work experiance.But I here now NARS became a money maker for BNSF and the have way too many guys graduating for the positions BNSF needs to fill.

Chicagorail1, give me your opinion on this. Should I go to NARS and would it help. GI Bill will pay for the class, I will pay for hotel, food, transportation. I live 190 miles from NARS. Interviewed with BNSF in Nov 2008 and not offered a job. The interview was very short and I got the impression that they already knew who was getting hired. Many people at the interview knew BNSF employees.

I would not do it.

To many people out there with NARS and no job. I still say I was lucky. We had a 12 guys back then. My class did have 1/2 get jobs right out of school, some where lucky and had a month before there start date, I had to go immediately.

You would definitely stand out more with all those credentials, but being that NARS know has like Hundreds of people out there graduating every 6 weeks, from what I her, I am sure there are a lot of guys with impressive credentials, that now have NARS in there pocket with no job.

NARS 10 years ago gave me an "in", that is the only think I can tell you.
I still would not due it again, unless you have money to burn.

PS. When I was going to college, I interview for the BNSF and did not get the Job, this was January 96. And It was exactly that, a lot of guys who did not know anybody from within the RR, and handful of people knew people from within the BNSF, they where going to get the job and everybody else was there to satisfy the EEOC. It was very obvious, by the way the hr people where interviewing. I remember one guy just after taken the test, and seeing the people who knew people interviews last a considerable amount of time and everyone else interview last 5 min. ,Went nuts on the HR lady.

Thanks Chicagorail1

conductbud64 wrote:Chicagorail1, give me your opinion on this. Should I go to NARS and would it help. GI Bill will pay for the class, I will pay for hotel, food, transportation. I live 190 miles from NARS. Interviewed with BNSF in Nov 2008 and not offered a job. The interview was very short and I got the impression that they already knew who was getting hired. Many people at the interview knew BNSF employees.

As you will find in many threads about this subject, your better off having a RR hire and train you themselves while getting paid to do it. If you have the GI Bill, use that to your advantage and get trained/educated in a field that you can fall back on in the event the RR does not work out. As mentioned before, there are relatively few fields outside of the RR industry where you apply any "skills" you may have been taught at NARS vs. that of a technical certification (welding, construction trades, etc.) or an AA or BA. Use that GI Bill towards "real" education that will further yourself towards a variety fo fields instead of the narrow gauge of the RR.

Also, be willing to expand your horizons unless you cannot relocate due to family, etc. I lived in Atlanta and moved to Salt Lake City to start work with the UPRR. I then traveled down to Las Vegas to take engineer promotion. Then back to Salt Lake City to step aboard Amtrak as a hogger. If you broaden your look at things anything is possible. Keep at the applications and interviews. Before the RR industry I was in the airline industry for 18 years. Of the five airlines I worked for I attended numerous mass hiring sessions and interviewed for numerous positions without being offered many of them. Just keep at it and you'll find the doors will open eventually.

conductbud64 wrote: GI Bill will pay for the class, I will pay for hotel, food, transportation. I live 190 miles from NARS.

Speaking from experience, the GI Bill will NOT pay for the class. They will only pay you at the monthly rate for 6 weeks. Look at the VA page to see what the monthly rate is and figure out how much they will pay for 6 weeks. I found that out the hard way. By the way 2006 grad currentyly employed(furloughed) UP. Right now is not a good time to even try to get on anywhere. We are all the way back to 4/06 cut off, with no end in sight. Just some thought.

the only class i see anyone talking about is the conductor trainee program what about the job outlook for people who graduate from the diesel electrician program or signal worker, how fast do that get hired out of school?