WORKFORCE & TRAINING
Changing times, changing needs While known as a training solutions provider for the rail industry, over the last 16 years since its inception, the Centre for Excellence in Rail Training has become much more than that.
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HE CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE in Rail Training (CERT) began as a training facility in Western Australia in 2003, offering training courses for all areas required by the rail industry nationally, including rail infrastructure, rail operations, rail safeworking, rail safety investigations, rail structures and rail safety management. Since then, the organisation has grown to become the nation-wide choice for those training courses, as well as assessment services, but also an international player delivering courses in Indonesia, Malaysia and East Africa. CERT now also offers extensive training for workers in mining, port and engineering industries, as well as its core market in rail. They are also best placed for future rail innovations such as in-cab rail signalling systems and automatic train protection systems. In addition, CERT has established training facilities in WA (Bunbury, Perth and Port Hedland) to provide training services for high risk work licences, mobile equipment, first aid, fire equipment, and training for working at heights and confined spaces. Part of the reason for the organisation coming to take this place in the industry, according to CERT national manager, Mark Haigh, is its “ability to holistically service the industry nationally, with independent, compliant and quality training solutions”. Having presided over some of the most significant
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growth in CERT’s operations, throughout 2005 and 2006, Haigh has been able to establish an agile training team, designed to meet the needs of industry. CERT’s trainers have a minimum of ten years, while most have more than 20 years, experience in the industry. Trainers have worked in the delivery of rail infrastructure, rail operations, and rail safe-working training and assessment. During this time, CERT has seen changes in Australia’s rail labour market. “The attempt to align rail safety worker competence to national units of competence, in order to allow people to work in all states and all networks has been the biggest change in my fifteen years in the rail training industry,” Haigh said. “Allowing rail workers to have portability in their skills gives them and their families the ability to move from project to project and have sustainable lifestyles. It also allows networks, contractors and employers in general access to competent staff who have experience and exposure to rail networks nationally.” These changes have helped CERT grow into the business that it is today, having established training facilities and engaged trainers in all states of Australia. “CERT has and will travel anywhere to support rail safety workers in gaining competence which in turn assists them in gaining employment. Our demographic spread also mitigates costs
CERT’s aim is to enable anyone who wants to, to be capable of meeting the rail industry’s needs.
RAIL EXPRESS | ISSUE 9 2019
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