4 minute read
Alstom develops the next generation
The Workforce
With competition for resources at a high, mobility leader Alstom says its commitment to diversity and its graduate program have helped in its recruitment processes.
The pressure on the labour market is driven by many factors. In addition to the mobility issues arising from COVID, there has been a rapid demand for resources as a result of a massive growth and delivery phase in the industry.
Rail Express spoke to Alstom Human Resources Director, Australia and NZ, Alanna Billington, about how the company is coping with the issue, and how it’s affecting operations in Australia.
“I think the clear consensus coming out of the AusRAIL conference was that it’s not an industry-specific problem,” she said. “We know many industries that are facing skill shortage issues, particularly in the construction and manufacturing sectors – industries that traditionally compete with rail jobs.
“Alstom is fortunate to have a very diverse portfolio, supported by an expansive local footprint. To date we have been able to manage our workforce across the country to ensure we continue to successfully deliver on our commitments to our customers.
“As new projects continue to develop, there is more pressure for everyone on cost, and delivery timeframes. Managing this pipeline of work and resources efficiently will be key to future success.
“We are confident that we have the systems, processes and know-how to navigate these times successfully – but it is a challenge.”
Alstom is currently delivering major rail projects throughout Australia including the manufacturing regional and suburban rolling stock in Victoria and Perth, digital signalling programs in Queensland, NSW and Victoria and many long-term service and maintenance contracts across many fleets through Australia.
While the variety of skills required to deliver this range of projects is extensive, Alanna said it also builds a very strong and comprehensive knowledge base within the organisation.
THE RECRUITMENT CHALLENGE
“Whenever you talk to anyone in the industry at the moment, attraction and retention of resources is critical,” Alanna said.
“While ensuring we have a diverse recruitment strategy is key, there is not one solution.
“We need to ensure that we continue to be agile in our way of thinking about how a role can be done. Our industry has been, and in some cases continues to be, quite traditional in the way we believe projects need to be delivered, with all of the resources located together to deliver them.
“If there is one thing that COVID has shown us, it’s that we can do things differently.
“For example,we recently recruited for a critical hard-to-fill role for a project in WA; that resource is based in NSW but it was able to support the team remotely. Previously there would have been a view that role had to be based together with the team. So this initiative enables us access to a wider pool of resources.”
Alanna stressed the value of a diverse and inclusive workforce.
“From a business perspective, diversity brings you diverse ideas, knowledge, wisdom and perspective, and inclusivity brings it all together with respect that ultimately drives superior outcomes,” she said.
“It is commonly reported that equitable employers outpace their competitors by respecting the unique needs, perspectives and potential of all their team members.
“We are very strong advocates for a diverse and inclusive workforce – exemplified by our comprehensive diversity and inclusion strategy that focuses on continuing to drive gender diversity and gender equity, enabling more opportunities for aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people, increasing disability employment opportunities, ensuring an inclusive environment for our LGBTQIT+ colleagues and the development of our young professionals.”
Alanna said COVID had obviously meant some adjustments were required to how the company operated. “But witnessing the agility of our teams and their ability to adapt to new environments was quite inspiring,” she said.
ATTRACTING GRADUATES
Alanna said while the industry had changed significantly over the past couple of decades, the traditional manufacturing and service-based trades would still be required.
“But even in these areas, particularly in signalling, we are in the digital age,” she said.
“The variety of skills required in our industry is huge – you could be servicing a gearbox on a diesel train, installing cables in a tunnel under Sydney habour or uploading the latest software release for a driverless train.
“This range of skills, and the mobility of these roles is something that we need to promote.
“The other key factor that sets our industry apart is innovation and the drive toward sustainability and addressing the climate change challenge. The role of rail has a big part to play in this space which is of course an attractive attribute to the younger generation in particular. Alstom partners and engages with many levels of the education sector – from high school out reach programs, developing and supporting TAFE training courses, university scholarships, intern programs and its own own training programs.
“We are committed to developing the next generation of rail professionals right across the industry, including trade apprenticeships, to engineering students and graduate programs.
“We are proud of the work which we do with the UTS in Sydney for the Women in Engineering & IT (WEiT) Scholarship Program and LUCY Mentoring programs supporting women in STEM. “
As a reflection of Alstom’s commitments, it received Top Employer Certification again for 2022. This certification recognises a company’s commitment to creating a better working environment and the excellence of its HR policies and practices.
Alstom Human Resources Director, Australia and NZ, Alanna Billington.
