Skills recognition in the Australian rail industry

Opportunities and challenges

Presenters: Anne Morrison & Katie Maher

‘Is it something that looks like it’s been issued from a cornflake packet?’

Skills Recognition

An assessment process which 'formally acknowledges skills, abilities and knowledge obtained through previous study, work experience and/or life experiences'.

Wodonga TAFE (n.d.)

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)Recognition of Current Competency (RCC)

Volunteer work Unpaid work

Life experienceInformal learning

Non-formal learningFormal learning

CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Photograph: Sascha Granthttp://www.flickr.com/photos/oflittleinterest/329781650/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Can be initiated by

Job applicantEmployeeEmployerRegistered Training Organisation (obligatory)

Can be used when

Entering the industryMoving between organisations Moving within an organisationLeaving the organisation or industry

100,000 + rail employees

OperationsDriversControllersStation staffTransit guards

InfrastructureEngineersSignal TechniciansTrack workersMaintainers

CorporateHuman ResourcesAdministrationFinanceIT

Methodology:

58 interviews74 interviewees19 organisationsPrivate railPublic railRTOs

Industry partners

'We’ve got so many people … who I believe should have a formal recognition of their skills. I see the possibilities as endless really within our organisation'.

'Training is the easier option. Stick them in on the course so they get that unit of competency, rather than trying to RPL them and find the evidence for it'.

Challenges

Lack of national harmonisation

GaugesCodes of practiceRegulationsSignals

Caution (New South Wales)Clear - Normal Speed (Victoria)Clear - Maximum Speed (USA)

'The risks of SR, if you get it wrong, you can kill someone. And that’s very, very real'.

CC-By-2.0 Photo: Louise Dockerhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Off_the_Rails_(1).jpg

Validity and rigour

'I don’t know how I’d feel if someone did an RPL for brain surgery and they didn’t actually do a practical'.

'Change is very difficult in this industry'Inertia

CC BY 3.0 Photograph: Samuel Wittwerhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:G530-G528_TentHill_Aug07.jpg

Equity and diversity

'Some of them had a hard time proving to me that they had [skills and experience], both migrants and Indigenous … Could be cultural differences, maybe I missed some of their subtle movements'.

Opportunities - an HRM perspective

Value pre-existing skills and knowledgeFormalise skills and knowledge Reduce repeat training timeReduce off-the-job training timeIncrease time for hands-on experienceFast-track to a qualification

Attraction

'I wouldn’t have continued the apprenticeship if they were to make me start it again … I would have gone elsewhere'.

Retention

'Actually we just lost two or three up north. They seem to be filling their gender issue up there with our girls, pinching them, so good luck to them'.

CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Photograph: Puddleshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/48889075182@N01/5694918910/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Morale and wellbeing

'Suddenly they’ve got a qualification, and they think Wow all this work I’ve been doing all these years actually stands for something. It means that I’ve got this level of knowledge and skills and I can tell you what it really makes a difference to a lot of people'.

Maximising existing capabilities

'There are certainly people within the organisation that have skills that are not utilised'.

Qualifying the workforce

'There’s a lot of people been working here for years and years, but they probably couldn’t produce a piece of paper saying Here’s my qualification, but they are very qualified people'.

Identifying skills gaps

'It’s become even more critical for us to undergo an RPL process, to identify not only existing competencies but to identify gaps'.

Fast-tracking

'We don’t necessarily have a formal RPL process, but you can actually fast track that guy’s training and assessment because you recognise skills that he or shealready possesses'.

Workforce planning

'what skills arerequired, how many people do we need with this skill?'

CC-BY-2.5 Johnno Shadbolthttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Melbourne_RRL.png

Under-utilised in rail

Skills Recognition

AttractionRetentionStaff moraleWorkforce developmentWorkforce planning

Not something out of a cornflake packet