Offering courses in rail construction, rail infrastructure, operations, safety and compliance, Centre for Excellence in Rail Training aims to provide affordable training for Australia’s rail workforce.
Centre for excellence in Rail Training (CERT) National Manager Mark Haigh says investment is needed in skills, simply to meet growing demand from the rising number of major rail projects and operations around the country.
“The supply of labour in rail is not keeping up with demand. We don’t currently have the resources we need in the industry,” Mr Haigh says.
“We must train people to keep up with demand. That’s going to be fundamental to filling the skills gap.”
Mr Haigh says CERT’s range of more than 80 courses covers crucial areas like heavy and light rail construction, rail safeworking, train and tram driving, “the whole gambit”.
Certificate II and Certificate III in Rail Infrastructure are two courses for which CERT expects continued high demand as more and more workers will need to be trained for construction projects like Inland Rail into the future.
Additionally, many ancillary jobs around the railway, like painters, cleaners, and electricians require established induction courses to work safely in and around a rail environment.
“There’s literally thousands of people whose main role isn’t in rail, but still require those critical inductions,” Mr Haigh explains.
To help meet the growing demand for skilled workers in the construction, operations, and ancillary sectors, CERT has focused on building a network of strategically-placed training centres in all mainland states.
“We’ve recently opened new locations in Ballarat, Hallam, Rockhampton and Newcastle and we’re looking at opening in Parkes and Dubbo in the next six months,” Mr Haigh outlines.
Founded in 2003, CERT has grown to employ more than 40 trainers and assessors nationally, each with a background in rail, safety, or both. Mr Haigh says all CERT trainers have at least 10 years’ experience in rail, with many having in excess of 20 years. All also hold relevant and current Certificate IV Training and Assessment qualifications.
The CERT team is experienced in dealing with students with language, literacy and numeracy issues and are adept at tailoring learning to the needs of the student and the business concerned.
“We believe that learning is the reward that will aid a peson throughout their vocational journey,” Mr Haigh says.
Find out more: cert.edu.au