TasRail puts kids in cabin
BRIDGEWATER students have had a taste of what it is like to work on the state’s railways as TasRail joins a program helping students move from school to work.
About 15 Jordan River Learning Federation students this week visited TasRail’s Brighton operations and met locomotive drivers, rolling stock maintainers, rail operators and TasRail’s communications and stakeholder relations team.
The visit coincided with the launch of a three-year partnership with the Beacon Foundation that aims to help students move from education into the workforce.
“Students from around Tasmania will have an opportunity to meet our employees to learn about their jobs, discuss training requirements, visit our worksites and understand the day-to-day demands of successfully running rail operations,” TasRail chief executive Damien White said.
“We [at TasRail] have been investigating a number of options to work with the community to engage Tasmanian students to ensure career opportunities at TasRail are explored.”
Beacon state manager Nick Probert said the Jordan River Learning Federation students’ visit was an invaluable opportunity for them.
“The students were able to talk to young and passionate railway workers who started at TasRail as trainee rail operators and then, through on and off-the-job training, they have progressed to trainee and qualified locomotive drivers,” he said.
The State Government is calling for interested schools to apply for the second round of the Beacon Foundation Collective ed program.