Austria’s railways urgently need skilled workers
By 2025 Austrian rail freight transport lacks hundreds of workers. Especially the private providers are affected by the shortage of skilled workers. This is to be counteracted with the initiative “Komm zum Zug”.
“We are primarily looking for reinforcement in the specialist jobs of train drivers, wagon technicians and shifters. Via the online platform www.komm-zum-zug.at, interested parties can obtain information about job profiles and apply directly to companies throughout Austria,” says Andreas Mandl, Chairman of the Committee on Freight Transport in the Association of Railways in the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber ( WKO).
The basic requirement for the different professions is a basic technical understanding and interest in the industry. The jobs advertised are not only interesting for young workers looking for a training place, but also for older job changers. “We train the specialists in our companies; train driver training, for example, takes ten to twelve months,” explains Andreas Mandl. The application process also takes place directly via the platform.
The initiators and members of the skilled workers campaign are: Cargo Service GmbH, European Locomotive Leasing Austria GmbH, Graz-Köflacher Bahn und Busbetrieb GmbH, Lokomotion Austria, LTE Logistik- & Transport-GmbH, MEV Independent Railway Services GmBH, NSB und Raaberbahn, RTB Cargo Austria, Steiermarkbahn, Stern & Hafferl Verkehrs-gesellschaft m.b.H, TX Logistik Austria GmbH, Wiener Lokalbahnen Cargo GmbH, Safety4you Baustellenlogistik GmbH und VPI – Verband der Privatgüterwagen-Interessenten.
Rail freight traffic in Austria is growing strongly. For years there has been an upward trend in the transport volume. In 2017, rail freight transport volume reached 118.8 million net tonnes. That is an increase of 6.9 per cent in the years 2013 to 2017.