The beef capital of Rockhampton could well be the railway capital of Australia in 2005, with significant national railway visits and meetings in the region in August highlighting the railway sector’s increasing importance in the booming coal state.

This Friday and Saturday, August 5-6, just under 80 national and international delegates will converge on the Country Comfort Hotel for the Australasian Technical conference of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) , which is focused on ‘Educating the Industry’.

The conference program on Friday will include presentations from the current international President of the IRSE Mr Jacques Pore of France, Vice-Chancellor of Central Queensland University Professor John Rickard and CQU-based Rail Cooperative Research Centre (Rail CRC) Education and Training Program Leader Associate Professor Ken Kwong.

Facing a rail industry skills crisis and an aging workforce, the impetus for the conference being staged in Rockhampton came as a result of the world-leading efforts of the Rail CRC, which has made enormous inroads into up-skilling the industry since its inception in 2001.

Amongst other initiatives, the Rail CRC has developed a Postgraduate Diploma in Railway Signalling which is in its second year of offering through the Central Queensland University, and is also progressing the development and delivery of Postgraduate Programs in Rollingstock Engineering, Railway Civil Infrastructure and Railway Operations.

According to Rail CRC’s Chief Executive Officer Professor Dudley Roach, the Rail CRC’s efforts in education and training had come as a direct result of industry’s call for action to address a skills crisis in an industry with an aging workforce.

“It is expected that by 2020 Australia’s rail freight task will double with an urgent industry need for skilled railway personnel to meet the rail transport challenge,” Professor Roach said.

“We welcome the IRSE to Rockhampton and look forward to this conference highlighting the need for skilled railway personnel in a dynamic and changing railway industry.”.

“The Rail CRC is particularly pleased that the IRSE will be visiting Central Queensland University as part of their conference program on Saturday 6th August with the Institute currently assessing the Rail CRC/CQU Signalling Program with the view to accrediting it in the United Kingdom.

“With the success of the program’s online offering with participants located in various locations throughout Australia, we are not only investigating United Kingdom as a potential international offering, but also Malaysia and other South East Asian countries, as there is a world-wide shortage of skilled railway signalling professionals.”.

Rockhampton will also play host in August to a meeting of the Rail Safety Regulator’s Panel, a quarterly forum of Australian Rail Safety Regulators to discuss rail safety issues and develop and implement consistent rail safety regulator processes. ENDS.

For details: Nicole Eden, Rail CRC Communications and Marketing Manager, 07 4930 9064 or 0439 389934.