JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX’s Pride in Service initiative was awarded Gold in Engage for Good’s 22nd Annual Halo Awards for Best Employee Engagement Initiative and Silver for Best Direct Service Initiative.
The honor recognizes CSX’s partnership and support for Wounded Warrior Project’s drone training program. The program provides veterans with initial training to become certified FAA drone pilots and advanced training for warriors who are already certified. Warriors also receive hands-on experience at a CSX rail yard, getting an immersive look at how CSX uses drones.
Through this program, veterans are exposed to tangible and transferable skills that will help achieve new and meaningful employment opportunities at the center of jobs of the future.
Drone training is part of a broader partnership with Wounded Warriors and their Warriors to Work Program, which supports warriors and their families transitioning to the civilian workforce.
Wounded Warriors and CSX have placed more than a dozen warriors in CSX jobs since the inception of the partnership. The idea for the drone training partnership was developed due to increasing demand in the job market and increasing usage of the technology in the transportation industry; in fact, by 2025, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International estimates there will be more than 100,000 new drone pilot jobs.
“CSX is proud to be recognized by Engage for Good for our partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project to provide innovative programming and resources in service to our nation’s veterans,” CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs said in a statement. “Strengthening communities is a core value at CSX, and this Halo Award is a testament to the impact that the thousands of ONE CSX team members and our partners have across our network through our Pride in Service initiative.”
The Halo Awards, presented at the first-ever Halos Gala hosted at E4G’s annual conference on May 15, are the highest recognition for outstanding corporate social impact initiatives. CSX has been recognized as a winner among a total of more than 170 campaign applications showcasing how corporate and nonprofit partnerships skillfully intertwine their resources to have a measurable impact on the cause and the business.
“The Drone Training Program exemplifies the power of collaboration to remove employment barriers for wounded veterans. Wounded Warrior Project recognized a demand in the industry coupled with veterans’ highly transferable military skills. CSX opened the door for opportunity as a military-friendly employer that utilizes drones daily. Because of passionate partners like CSX, Wounded Warrior Project helps warriors successfully transition to the civilian workforce and find meaningful careers,” said Kevin Rasch, WWP Warriors to Work regional director.
