Industry Associations
Survey confirms importance of rail skills shortage focus The Australasian Railway Association’s most recent rail remuneration survey has confirmed key roles remain in demand as the industry continues to address skills shortages. The latest ARA survey, conducted late last year, predicted rising salaries of up to 4.2 per cent over the next 12 months as the industry continues to advance a range of new projects, technological transformation and innovation. The survey assessed salary information for 400 rail specific roles across 46 organisations in 2021. IN-DEMAND ROLES While the industry is facing a skills shortage across many roles, the survey found that in 2021 rail maintainers and rail trades were most in demand, with total fixed remuneration rising seven per cent over a six-month period. The increase was attributed to high demand in both rail and other industries, as well as the impact of national skills shortages. Signals technicians were not far behind, recording an increase of six per cent over the same period, while technical trainers and
The survey found that in 2021, rail maintainers and rail trades were most in demand.
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assurance engineers were expected to be increasingly in demand over the next year. The survey found WA typically attracted the highest pay for technical roles, partly as a result of additional allowances for remote working. However, NSW and Victoria attracted premiums for key roles in fields such as health and safety, human resources, technology and project management, as a wave of new projects continued to be delivered. PREPARING FOR THE PEAK The survey validates forecasts in the ARA’s Skills Capability Study, which predicted skills shortages for key roles such as signalling technicians, train drivers, train controllers, track workers, trainers and assessors. The 2018 report predicted a 7.5 per cent workforce gap by 2027 across rail construction, operations and manufacturing. It anticipated a shortage of 70,000 skilled
Caroline Wilkie, chief executive, Australasian Railway Association.
workers by 2023 – a date that is now almost upon us. Infrastructure Australia last year confirmed 2023 would present challenges for the infrastructure sector, forecasting shortages would peak next year in its most recent workforce and skills supply report. International and state border closures over the last two years have exacerbated the challenges faced by the sector, highlighting the importance of addressing this issue to ensure a strong workforce to meet Australia’s long term needs. As the industry prepares for this peak, the rail construction pipeline has continued to grow, with $155 billion expected to be invested over the next 15 years. It is clear ensuring the industry attracts and retains the best people in the face of high demand within and beyond the infrastructure sector will require a multi-faceted approach. The ARA has been working on a range of fronts since the release of its 2018 study. We continue to contribute to the work of the National Rail Action Plan to support greater collaboration between state governments and industry to address this critical issue. The progress of three working groups established under NRAP in 2020 was positive and featured strong industry engagement. We are pleased to see work continues on progressing the working group’s recommendations.
