PROGRESS IN SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY WILL BE LINKED TO THE CREATION OF JOBS IN ALL SUBSECTORS, IN ADDITION TO THE INCORPORATION OF NEW SPECIALISED PROFILES. THE RAILWAY INDUSTRY FACES A NEW CHALLENGE: ATTRACTING AND RETAINING TALENT.
The railway industry is a critical component of the transport sector, and as such is constantly evolving to be able to propose solutions to the different mobility alternatives demanded by society. But these actions involve the development of investment capacities and increasing knowledge, which require, without a doubt, the participation of new people who join the different companies to contribute their knowledge in technological innovations as important as artificial intelligence, Big Data, connectivity …, without forgetting the solutions for an increasingly green mobility among others.
The European Union supports the railway, considering this transport as the most sustainable one, and one of the main elements that will contribute to the development of the EU Climate Agenda which seeks to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
Due to its numerous environmental, efficiency and safety advantages, the railway will be the key in this modal shift. And in this process, it is very necessary to have professionals who help to implement the new developments, reinforce innovation, and move towards the digitalisation of the industry. Progress in green mobility will be linked to the creation of jobs in all subsectors, in addition to the incorporation of new profiles specialised in sustainability, environment, blockchain, telecommunications, cybersecurity, operators, auxiliaries, new construction modeling methodologies, etc.
Fields all of them with great employment prospects, together with human resources management, corporate social responsibility or digital marketing, among others.
The challenges are multiple and it is necessary to have professional profiles that contribute their qualities, specialisation and know-how to the development of the railway.
“It is necessary to have new professionals who help to implement the necessary developments reinforcing innovation and digitalisation”
Mobility progress demands new professionals
way does so, applying solutions to the different challenges that it has faced. The modal shift currently demanded by society will be key in new projects. And in order to accept these challenges, it is necessary to have new professionals who help to implement the necessary developments reinforcing innovation and digitalisation.
One of the challenges facing the railway industry is the training, development, and career plans inside and outside the companies of the many professionals who will join it in the coming years. The ability to have the best market profiles in companies will depend, to a large extent, on the attraction and retention of talent so that working in this leading industry with a great future is considered to be the best option.
It is about a complete process in which various proposals are combined for employees to want to develop their future in the company and to feel involved with its evolution and progress: attractive conditions and identification with corporate values, etc.
To arouse the interest of working in an industry with great growth prospects, it is key for them to feel that talent and effort are taken into account. Companies have to combine not only a conventional salary, but a competitive and “emotional one”, mediation options, opportunities to participate in innovation projects, constant training, etc. In addition, candidates increasingly take into account companies responsible for the environment in which they operate and their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In this respect, the human resources policy is valued for having inclusive workforce, where equal opportunities, intergenerationality and quality of employment prevail.
To overcome these challenges, both the companies and the organisations that make up the railway sector will have to be able to retain them, to provide all the human capital with a value proposition, where each professional feels that it is the place where they want to steadily work and develop their career, with a quality job that brings them numerous benefits and where they share a vision to progress and grow.
It is also key for the sector to strengthen its current image and projection as well as its global leadership position. Likewise, they must continue applying all the developments at their disposal to be more innovative, productive and have a consolidated organisational structure.
Professionals wanting to join this sector are in a very favorable context along with the opportunities that will arise in the industry.
Renfe is a benchmark in training, which is delivered by the Professional Technical Schools of Driving, Operations and Maintenance. This school covers all the training needs in the driving area of the Renfe Group and responds to the training requests and needs of other railway companies and entities in the sector.
As a differentiating element, it has a wide network of driving simulators that allows to carry out the training and continuous improvement of the students, making it possible for them to successfully face their responsibilities, establishing the principle of safety as an essential value above any other objective.
R+D is a priority in the sector to continue advancing in the green mobility model of the future led by the railway.
The collaboration of private companies in the sector with public entities, research centres, and universities is essential to incorporate new developments in the railway systems and to ensure that the latest technology is available. In fact, there are already avant-garde technological developments supported by some universities, as is the case of the Polytechnic University of Valencia.
At a public level, the Railway Infrastructure Manager (Adif) and Adif Alta Velocidad, within its 2030 Strategic Plan, has launched the largest public employment offer. There will be almost 62,000 jobs until 2025 in order to meet the demands of the railway service. With this employment plan they want to respond to new challenges arising such as the generational handover, railway liberalisation, and the expansion and improvement of network provisions, among others.
The challenge facing the railway industry in general, and Spain in particular, is having highly qualified professionals for the coming years, where they can develop their activity in the area of transport that contributes to make it increasingly efficient and sustainable and to facilitate mobility and the lives of citizens.
“Priority R+D to continue progressing in the green mobility model of the future of the railway”
