Workforce Analysis of the Australian Rail Transport Industry (ARTI)

Despite a slowing in economic activity both internationally and nationally, the Australian rail transport industry (ARTI) is still reporting the existence of skill shortages amongst specified professions. This paper explores this interesting phenomenon more closely by analysing the ARTI workforce an...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mahendran, Anusha
Other Authors: Nick Wills-Johnson
Format: Conference Paper
Published: Center for Research in Applied Economics 2009
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/47273
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author Mahendran, Anusha
author2 Nick Wills-Johnson
author_facet Nick Wills-Johnson
Mahendran, Anusha
author_sort Mahendran, Anusha
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Despite a slowing in economic activity both internationally and nationally, the Australian rail transport industry (ARTI) is still reporting the existence of skill shortages amongst specified professions. This paper explores this interesting phenomenon more closely by analysing the ARTI workforce and providing a contemporary profile of its major employment trends and characteristics, using the most recently released ABS Census data. Like other industries the ARTI experienced substantial rationalisation of its workforce during the 1990's which resulted in considerable downsizing of employee numbers, reduced intake of young recruits and a significant decrease in training investment and skills development. The combined effect has left the ARTI facing several personnel problems including widespread labour shortfalls, an aging workforce and difficulties in relation to staff attraction and retention. The ARTI's heavy reliance on the skills of its personnel therefore means that such labour issues are likely to have important implications for the industry's prospective output capacity.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-472732017-10-02T02:27:09Z Workforce Analysis of the Australian Rail Transport Industry (ARTI) Mahendran, Anusha Nick Wills-Johnson Australian rail transport employment trends workforce profile and composition Despite a slowing in economic activity both internationally and nationally, the Australian rail transport industry (ARTI) is still reporting the existence of skill shortages amongst specified professions. This paper explores this interesting phenomenon more closely by analysing the ARTI workforce and providing a contemporary profile of its major employment trends and characteristics, using the most recently released ABS Census data. Like other industries the ARTI experienced substantial rationalisation of its workforce during the 1990's which resulted in considerable downsizing of employee numbers, reduced intake of young recruits and a significant decrease in training investment and skills development. The combined effect has left the ARTI facing several personnel problems including widespread labour shortfalls, an aging workforce and difficulties in relation to staff attraction and retention. The ARTI's heavy reliance on the skills of its personnel therefore means that such labour issues are likely to have important implications for the industry's prospective output capacity. 2009 Conference Paper http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/47273 Center for Research in Applied Economics fulltext
spellingShingle Australian rail transport
employment trends
workforce profile and composition
Mahendran, Anusha
Workforce Analysis of the Australian Rail Transport Industry (ARTI)
title Workforce Analysis of the Australian Rail Transport Industry (ARTI)
title_full Workforce Analysis of the Australian Rail Transport Industry (ARTI)
title_fullStr Workforce Analysis of the Australian Rail Transport Industry (ARTI)
title_full_unstemmed Workforce Analysis of the Australian Rail Transport Industry (ARTI)
title_short Workforce Analysis of the Australian Rail Transport Industry (ARTI)
title_sort workforce analysis of the australian rail transport industry (arti)
topic Australian rail transport
employment trends
workforce profile and composition
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/47273