National launch of rail recruitment company: OnlineRail

By Jennifer Perry

After nine years of building a successful business in Victoria, OnlineRail, a specialist recruitment and labour hire company that services all areas of the rail industry, has expanded their services nationally to service employers and candidates Australia wide.
“The rail industry has very specialised needs when it comes to employment and as a leading rail workforce supplier in Victoria we are very excited about offering step-by-step solutions to recruitment nationwide,” OnlineRail’s general manager Penelope Beazley told Rail Express.
According to Beazley, the sharp increase in investment into passenger and freight rail by State and Federal Governments has created a number of employment opportunities in the sector.
“The number of projects that are coming up in each State is huge and there are certainly lots of positions, but on top of this there is also an enormous skills shortage in the industry,” Beazley said.
“10 years ago the rail industry and the private contractors to the industry stopped training people which has led to a situation where those who are skilled are getting older and getting ready to leave the workforce.
“However no provision has been made for the rail industry to become a ‘career of choice’ for young people, and the responsibility of training has fallen either to companies themselves or to recruitment companies like us who grow our own.”
To address this issue, OnlineRail has recently become a registered training organisation in alliance with the University of Ballarat.
“Starting in Victoria, we are now able to roll out fully accredited training at certain levels and we hope to have this recognised in other States in the near future,” Beazley said.
OnlineRail supplies railway labourers, general labourers, flagmen, plant and machinery operators, HyRail drivers, thermit welding crews, gangers, tie renewal gangs, rail construction crews, light rail construction crews, civil construction crews requiring track safety awareness, leading hands, supervisors, and foremen. It also supplies staff for one-off projects as well as contract and full time staff for projects of any size.
“Online Rail understands the specific needs of the rail industry and offers thorough reference, qualification, medical and background checks,” Beazley said.
“We ensure that candidates are provided with appropriate training before we place them, helping to keep business costs down.”
Safety is an important issue for the company, and Beazley said OnlineRail is committed to the management of safety and the prevention of injuries.
“We believe that safety is best achieved in partnership and we work closely with our clients to ensure the safety of employee’s prior to placement and during a contract.
“Our OnlineRail team are looking forward to developing closer relationships with the Australian Rail community.”
OnlineRail is a member of the Total Recruitment Group, one of the fastest growing privately owned employment agencies in Australia, offering recruitment, labour hire and human resource solutions.

With a head office in regional Victoria, OnlineRail also has offices throughout Australia. For more information visit their website: www.onlinerail.net.au

For photographs from the launch, click here.