Trainee workers on track to a brighter future with Inland Rail
Seven local First Nations students are on track for a bright future in the rail industry after completing a critical five-week course to build their rail infrastructure skills thanks to the Inland Rail Skills Academy (IRSA), opening up potential career opportunities as track workers, track installers, and track maintenance crew.
August 10, 2023
Local community members, including young adults along the Inland Rail alignment, took the accredited Certificate II in Rail Infrastructure training course that was run by the IRSA in partnership with TIC Training Group in Albury and at the Ettamogah Rail Hub.
The Certificate II in Rail Infrastructure is a great opportunity for entry level qualifications for the industry, and includes mandatory training required for a Rail Industry Worker card, and any offer of employment for participants.
The course has been piloted by IRSA successfully over the past six months, with approximately forty per cent of participants gaining meaningful employment, including at Trans4m Rail, local councils, and other regional employers.
Over the five weeks, the students received theory and practical training including work health safety procedures, track fundamentals, operating minor mechanical equipment, track ballasting, and installing railway sleepers.
The program provides a head start for participants to take advantage of fantastic future employment opportunities along the Inland Rail alignment.
The Albury to Illabo and Stockinbingal to Parkes sections of Inland Rail are taking shape with Martinus Rail recently awarded a $403.5 million contact for enhancement works on the sections, with construction on Stockinbingal to Parkes is expected to start later this year.
Stephen Jones, Inland Rail Director of Health, Safety and Environment said:
‘Inland Rail is delivering real opportunities for regional communities. We’re proud to support the next generation of workers in the rail industry, as we continue with the job of completing Inland Rail from Beveridge to Parkes by 2027.
‘Inland Rail is not just about building the railway line, as important as that is, it’s also about building the capability and capacity of local communities to continue to grow.
“There is no better legacy than helping local people learn new skills that set them up for new careers that can help them build better lives for themselves and their families’.
