As part of ongoing industry engagement activities, Carly Grigg, Industry Engagement Manager for Rail, recently visited Arc Infrastructure to gain a deeper understanding of the organisation’s workforce development priorities and training initiatives.
Hosted by Sam Crowford, Head of People, Carly met with Arc Infrastructure’s training team at the company’s head office before touring the organisation’s impressive Training Centre in Kewdale. The visit provided valuable insight into the facilities and programs that support the development of Western Australia’s rail workforce.
A key focus of the discussions was the recently released 2026 Rail Workforce Planning Updates, exploring current and emerging workforce opportunities facing the rail sector. Particular attention was given to ongoing skills shortages, especially within rail signalling occupations, as well as the barriers young people encounter when seeking apprenticeship opportunities. These conversations highlighted the importance of industry collaboration in addressing workforce challenges and building sustainable talent pipelines, including support for Industry Skills Australia’s Rail Fundamentals Project, which will create a nationally recognised Certificate II in Rail Fundamentals (Pre-Vocational) to help secondary school students explore careers in rail.
Arc Infrastructure manages Western Australia’s extensive rail freight network, spanning more than 5,000 kilometres across the state, and employs over 500 people. As a significant contributor to the state’s transport and freight sector, the organisation continues to invest in workforce capability and skills development.
The visit also showcased Arc Infrastructure’s holistic approach to training and workforce development. The organisation recognises the value of strong partnerships between industry and education and continues to explore opportunities that support employee growth and capability building.
Plans are already underway for a follow-up visit to Arc Infrastructure’s Kenwick Depot, where ISA will have the opportunity to observe the company’s Flashbutt welding operations firsthand. The specialised process plays an important role in the construction, maintenance and reliability of the Arc rail network.
The site visit coincided with Carly’s attendance at the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) Western Australia Rail Industry Dinner, where Dr Vanda Fortunato, CEO of Industry Skills Australia, hosted a table of rail industry leaders, providing a valuable opportunity to strengthen industry connections and discuss the future workforce needs of Western Australia’s rail sector.
For more information on Industry Skills Australia’s work with the rail sector, including stakeholder engagement and workforce development projects, visit our website.
