The Melbourne-Brisbane railway builder wants to know there will be skilled staff where it might need them

The Australian Rail Track Corporation announces the Inland Rail Skills Academy.  There are 20 scholarships for students commencing next year and 2021 at La Trobe, Charles Sturt and Southern Queensland universities, all of which have campuses adjacent to the route. While the scholarships have no employment connection to the project, the corporation describes one of the academy’s aims being to “increase the number of skilled local people eligible for employment on inland rail and associated regional industries.”

Good community relations for sure, unless the corporation worries that a lack of skilled locals will bring it bad PR when it rails-in, or worse flies-in from overseas, the skilled staff needed to build and maintain the line.

If so, this might be like the Naval Shipbuilding College, which is signing agreements with VET and universities to train the skilled workers to build the 12 submarines, nine frigates, plus patrol boats the RAN plans.