Inland Rail Skills Academy Rail Readiness course leads to local hires

Inland Rail Skills Academy Rail Readiness course graduates from Cootamundra, New South Wales, have secured full-time roles with John Holland on Inland Rail’s Illabo to Stockinbingal section, as reported by Rail Express.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Delivered with Yakka Training, the three-day Rail Readiness program is built around rail and construction careers training, with an emphasis on safety and workplace readiness rail industry requirements. It covers mental fitness, psychosocial hazards and being fit for duty—topics intended to prepare participants for site-based work.

Inland Rail Skills Academy Rail Readiness course training focus

The Rail Readiness course is structured to strengthen practical readiness for rail and construction environments. Alongside core safety expectations, it addresses mental fitness and the psychosocial hazards that can arise at work, and it also looks at broader workplace readiness.

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John Holland jobs Cootamundra: new local roles on Inland Rail

Among the newly-employed local residents is Gwen Norman, who has joined the project as a Community Liaison Officer. With experience across education, mining, events and community volunteering, Norman said the opportunity allowed her to contribute to a major infrastructure initiative in her hometown.

“We are participating in an exceptional opportunity,” she said. “To be part of a major national project with John Holland is exciting and enlivening for the community. It is satisfying to see the community embracing and welcoming the whole John Holland team.”

Todd Bryant has stepped into the role of Logistics Coordinator after showing “strong leadership and mentoring capabilities” throughout the program. He previously ran his own construction business in the region and said he was looking for a new challenge connected to the Inland Rail project taking place locally.

“I was ready for a new challenge and wanted to be part of something iconic like the Inland Rail project happening here in my hometown,” he said.

After 25 years in the building industry, Bryant said he expected the Rail Readiness course to feel familiar—but it proved to be a turning point. He said it pushed him out of his comfort zone, gave him a new perspective, and helped him grow personally and professionally as he joined the John Holland team.

Illabo to Stockinbingal Inland Rail section: regional jobs impact

Stephen Jones, Inland Rail Executive Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainability, said the rail sector offers rewarding and long-term career opportunities, and that Inland Rail is committed to ensuring regional communities benefit from the project, according to an Inland Rail media release.

“We’re proud of the employment outcomes achieved so far and the strong local connections we’re building,” Jones said. “Since the project began, Inland Rail has created more than 1800 jobs for local residents across New South Wales.”

For additional context on the corridor referenced in the story, Inland Rail provides a project overview of the Illabo to Stockinbingal section.

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