Industry Skills Australia (ISA) was honoured to participate in the 2026 Australasian Railway Association (ARA) People and Culture Conference, held in Melbourne on August 27-28.
Representing ISA, Industry Engagement Manager for Rail Carly Grigg, attended the two-day event, delivering a presentation focused on current workforce challenges and opportunities across the rail sector.
Bringing together human resources professionals, workforce specialists and industry leaders from across Australia, the conference featured a series of informative and engaging discussions centred on workforce development, skills, leadership and the future of work in rail.
One of the event’s most impactful presentations was “Tracks of Truth” by Mark Champley, which explored the significance of rail and its history for First Nations people in New South Wales.The presentation provided attendees with an opportunity to reflect on the social and cultural connections to rail, while broader discussions throughout the conference examined topics including psychosocial obligations in the workplace, employee wellbeing and industry leadership.
In her presentation, Carly reinforced the importance of workforce planning and nationally aligned skills approaches, sharing insights from the 2026 Rail Workforce Planning Update. She also highlighted major rail projects currently underway, as well as those being considered, and the implications these investments will have for workforce capability and future skills demand.
The conference followed the National Transport Commission’s Future Rail Skills Forum, where mutual recognition and harmonisation of rail skills emerged as a key area of focus. This theme continued throughout the week, highlighting growing industry momentum towards the adoption of consistent, mandatory training and skills standards across the rail network.
The strong level of engagement among participants demonstrated the rail sector’s commitment to addressing workforce challenges through collaboration, innovation and long-term planning.
ISA would like to thank the Australasian Railway Association, conference speakers and attendees for their contributions to an important industry conversation. Events such as the ARA People and Culture Conference play a vital role in bringing together passionate professionals who are working to strengthen the rail workforce and ensure the sector is equipped to meet future demand.
As Australia’s rail industry continues to evolve, collaboration between employers, industry bodies and workforce development specialists will remain critical to building the skilled, adaptable and future-ready workforce needed to support the sector’s growth. Read more about ISA’s ongoing projects here
