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The rolling stock component of Victoria's public transport sector workforce operates, designs, builds and maintains the trains, trams and buses used in Victoria's public transport system. Its workforce spans rail, buses and manufacturing sectors, and is central to the effective functioning and safety of public transport. Changing communities, organisational structures and the emergence of digital and cyber technologies (Industry 4.0) are driving the need for transformation across the sector. As these changes are likely to continue for the foreseeable future, building a suitably skilled workforce is now critical to the future sustainability of the industry. Current workforce development challenges include: Rapid expansion in areas of the sector; New technologies and service demands; A lack of a positive workforce image; An ageing workforce and skills shortages in key areas; Changing training and upskilling needs; Changing community expectations of work; A need to attract and retain a diverse and skilled workforce for the future.

This paper provides context for the 'Reimagining the workforce: building smart, sustainable, safe public transport' project workshop. The purpose of this workshop was to provide the opportunity for key stakeholders from across the industry to take an active part in addressing the above issues. Its aim is to identify three key actions and develop an industry-owned interim implementation plan [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 140.464]. This interim plan is intended to provide an evidence-based foundation for future actions across the public transport sector that addresses the current workforce issues, builds sustainable growth of the future workforce and supports local economies. It covers: Understanding the potential future workforce - younger people and career choices; Building inclusive and innovative organisations; Training the future workforce; Economic analysis of vocational training; Economics of procurement.

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'Reimagining the workforce: building smart, sustainable, safe public transport' is a collaborative research project between the Department of Transport (DoT), the Rail Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (RMCRC), Victoria University (VU) and industry. This research aims to provide a starting point for addressing the current knowledge gaps in the transport industry workforce, with a specific focus on above track rolling stock. Its purpose is to understand what practical steps might be taken to address critical skills shortages currently facing the sector, and what is needed to build a sustainable and resilient future workforce. The project provides a systemic assessment case study of the Victorian public transport rolling stock sector from three perspectives: economic, organisational and community in the broader context of the public transport system. Findings from these assessments will be used to inform a workshop with industry in 2020 to identify key actions and develop an interim plan [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 140.464] to support these actions.

This report describes the training, skills, challenges and needs required for Victoria's public transport rolling stock industry to renew and transform its workforce. It is part of an organisational analysis of the sector, and brings together the organisational and economic context for training with a particular focus on [small and medium enterprises] SMEs and their capability needs and apprenticeships. Key findings are as follows: Formal education, such as degrees and apprenticeships, are the foundation upon which skills are built. This review has indicated a need for more diverse skill sets associated with apprenticeships, and the need for additional modules in current training and tertiary education. Ongoing learning is now required for the sector to remain competitive in the face of rapidly evolving technologies and changing social norms. A multi-tiered, diversified approach to training is needed - one that bridges formal and informal training, ranging from short courses to full degrees. SMEs were found to have lower capability in some areas, with more resource and capital constraints than larger organisations. There is an urgent need to understand what specific training they need to build capability, what is likely to be most effective, and what mechanisms will best support these initiatives. The majority of training undertaken was reported as taking place in-house, revealing the need to build capability in the provision of this training - particularly between older and younger employees. Many of the critical training needs emerging are related to people-based soft skills, which are mainly optional in training packages. This indicates a gap in current training and a need to re-evaluate core competencies in training packages.

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The purpose of this literature review is to provide the current industry context and outline a theoretical basis to support the research project 'Reimagining the workforce: building smart, sustainable, safe public transport'. This project is funded by the Victorian Department of Transport and the Rail Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (RMCRC). The project aims to understand the current needs associated with the future public transport rolling stock workforce in Victoria, and in particular, the strengths, opportunities and challenges presented in overcoming the projected skills and capability crisis it currently faces and the need for innovation. It examines the different organisations who manufacture, maintain and operate rolling stock, and the influences that shape these, such as the procurement process, culture and the community. The review provides an overview of the system in which both the issues outlined above exist in the Victorian public transport workforce. The aim of the review is to present a holistic overview of the local context, but it also draws on international literature to understand the deeper underlying issues.

'Section 1: Introduction' by Roger Jones, Celeste Young and Kumi Heenetigala outlines the current industry composition and workforce within public transport with a focus on the Victorian context. 'Section 2: Building innovative and inclusive organisational cultures' by Celeste Young with contributions from Neil Parry reviews the current literature relevant to organisational culture, innovation, and diversity and inclusion in the public transport sector workforce context. It examines the current status of the above issues and also examines the opportunities, barriers and complexities related to both retention and attraction of both the current and future workforce. Its focus is the Victorian and Australian context, but it touches on international literature in order to identify relevant studies that provide insight into the workforce. 'Section 3: The community context' by Daniel Ooi summarises the existing body of work related to community perception of careers in rolling stock. This includes the extent to which the Australian and international community view careers in rolling stock as attractive, as well as the extent to which demographic changes among young job-seekers and changes in social and cultural values in relation to work, have changed the landscape for securing the future workforce in rolling stock. It also addresses the current understanding of the changing landscape of gender and cultural diversity of contemporary Australia in terms of career attraction, and ways in which understanding this might contribute to securing the future workforce in rolling stock. 'Section 4: Skills gaps and training in the rail industry' by Kumi Heenetigala focuses on skill shortage, the training requirements of the current and future workforce and availability of training to meet this shortage in Australia. The Australian rail industry is currently undergoing significant expansion and the increase in the number of large-scale projects requires expansion in the workforce in the rail industry. This requires identifying the skill shortage and training to meet the current and future needs of the rail workforce. 'Section 5: The policy context' by Celeste Young, Roger Jones and Neil Parry covers the history of governance in Victoria, which has shaped the current industry structure. International trade policy and how it affects the public procurement of rolling stock is also examined. 'Section 6: The economic context' by Roger Jones and Sidney Lung discusses the economics of procurement, first at the international scale, and then how it affects Victoria, addressing the procurement policies described in Section 1. The economic outlook internationally and in Victoria is then discussed. Finally, the economics of workforce and training issues is discussed with the aim of identifying the factors that lead to a sustainable workforce and industry.

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The rolling stock component of Victoria's public transport sector workforce operates, designs, builds and maintains the trains, trams and buses used in Victoria's public transport system. Its workforce spans the rail, bus and manufacturing sectors, and is central to the effective functioning and safety of public transport. Changing communities, organisational structures and the emergence of digital and cyber technologies (Industry 4.0) are driving the need for transformation across the sector. As these changes are likely to continue for the foreseeable future, building a suitably skilled workforce is now critical to the future sustainability of the industry. This proposed interim plan aims to provide an industry-led solution for the Victorian workforce. Its purpose is to provide an evidence-based foundation for the development of future actions across the public transport sector, which addresses the current workforce issues, builds sustainable growth of the future workforce and supports local economies in Victoria. This development of a proposed interim plan is the final output of 'Reimagining the workforce: building smart, sustainable, safe public transport' - a collaborative research project between the Department of Transport (DoT), the Rail Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (RMCRC), Victoria University (VU) and industry.

The three strategic actions are: Develop a clear image of the public transport sector to appeal to young people; Optimise local content, and maximise social and economic benefits; Develop a ten-year strategic plan for training to support workforce development and workforce profiles for Victoria.

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