Michael Than explores the implications of a national skill shortage, the shift in focus from roads to rail, thinking internationally but acting locally, and the need for a longer-term solution to building the capability to deliver Aotearoa New Zealand's rail infrastructure needs.

Since July 2020, the government has committed to spend $2.6B on more than 150 infrastructure projects as part of the COVID-19 recovery plan. While this may sound like music to the ears of our engineering and construction sectors, the reality is that less than half of these projects have begun. The intended kick-start for the economy in the form of an infrastructure boom seems to have hit pause.

To address this lag, the government has committed to setting up an ‘Implementation Unit’ to monitor and support these investment decisions so that they see the light of day. But delivering on these complex infrastructure developments will require more than just good governance. It will require a strong workforce with the right skills and expertise.

One of the biggest challenges facing the construction industry today is a shortage of people with the skills required to deliver Aotearoa New Zealand’s long-term transport infrastructure needs.

We must improve our capability so that we can meet the government’s 10-year vision for rail investment. But for us to do this, we need a long-term commitment from the government, with projects locked-in and a secure pipeline of work no matter who the successive government is. 

Shifting our expertise from roads to rail

Shifting investment from roads to rail requires a shift in how we invest in and build our expertise. Right now, we’re in a place of demand with very little supply.

While City Rail Link (CRL) has boosted the number of people in Aotearoa with rail experience, upskilling and supporting those with transferrable skills will be essential. But for this to work, we need to build a basic understanding of what rail is and what skills will be required in the future.

An engineer’s role is constantly changing. Career paths are fluid, you don’t have to be bound by sector, role or even industry. So, we have an opportunity to look at alternative ways to build the capability needed to deliver the major design and construction required to deliver rapid transit infrastructure in Aotearoa.

Changing the perception that apprenticeships are for those straight out of university would provide more opportunities for skilled people to develop within the rail sector through upskilling. We can do this by actively promoting training opportunities for those in already established careers.

On the job training such as cadetships or by pairing our graduates with senior members of the team and having them work across all aspects of a rail project could also see rail specialists develop faster.

Thinking internationally and acting locally

The success of billions of dollars of rail infrastructure the government has committed to delivering over the next 10 years is reliant on a long-term holistic approach to building local capability. It requires both an investment in infrastructure and people.

A traditional solution to a skills shortage is importing specialists from around the world to bridge the gap. But several challenges come with a heavy reliance on this method alone, and sourcing and developing homegrown talent should also be a priority.

The Covid-19 global pandemic has created additional challenges to bringing people across to Aotearoa. New Zealand’s response to the pandemic has been to close our borders, and with that we’ve seen a significant drop in net migration.

But with this also comes opportunity.

The latest report from WSP and The Helen Clark Foundation, Nau Mai: Welcome Home written by Holly Walker, WSP Fellow and Helen Clark Foundation Deputy Director, explores how we can understand and tap into the potential of our offshore diaspora, attract some of them home, and prepare our infrastructure for trends in a post-pandemic future. In fact, we’ve seen the biggest net gain of New Zealand citizens, the first net gain in two decades, and more kiwis are set to return home.

With millions of New Zealanders living around the world with valuable skills, experience and expertise to share, we have a huge opportunity to welcome them home, gaining much needed experience on major rail projects such as the East London Line Extension, Sydney Metro City and Southwest, Doha Metro, Crosslink in London and Melbourne Metro Tunnel.

We can also leverage the knowledge of international experts by creating an online workforce. At WSP, we regularly tap into our pool of technical specialists worldwide to test our thinking and come up with solutions to complex problems. Through technology, there is no reason why someone who lives in the UK can’t consult on a project in Aotearoa.

Reform in education and training systems

To build a strong foundation of knowledge in rail, we need a vertically integrated approach driven by the rail industry and universities which fosters innovation, education, and research. Our tertiary educators need to be agile to change and adapt the curriculum to meet future needs.

I’ve seen this done successfully in Sweden, where a dedicated rail development programme focussed around research, innovation, and teaching provided students with a basic knowledge of how rail traffic systems and rail vehicles work and different parts of the rail system interact. Taking a similar approach to this would work well in Aotearoa.

In collaboration with the University of Auckland, WSP experts are working to establish a teaching and research programme dedicated to the rail industry. Working with the School of Engineering, we’ve introduced the first couple of rail courses to 10 post-graduate students and plan to develop similar undergraduate programmes. The goal would be to see this expand into peer review and technical accreditations, where people within the rail industry take a one or two-day course to gain credits. 

While there is seemingly no long-term workforce plan in Aotearoa, representatives from KiwiRail, the Auckland University of Technology, the University of Auckland, and within the industry have shown willingness to be part of growing this foundation of knowledge in rail in Aotearoa.

Delivering rail in Aotearoa

It’s our role as engineers to provide our clients with certainty. If we want to construct light rail, heavy rail, metro rail, or freight rail, it’s not only about training people but getting the knowledge right through, from decision makers to users and suppliers.

Delivering light rail in Aotearoa will require strong planning and design solutions that are sustainable, innovative, and provide value to money. Adopting things like accelerated construction will improve site constructability, reduce delivery time, material quality and durability.

WSP has delivered low-carbon light rail systems and other rapid transit systems for cities across the world. With over 50,000 experts worldwide, we can use our unique position to bring technical experts from around the world together with our local experts to provide world-class solutions that work for local communities.

We have the potential to transform transportation in Aotearoa and we need urgency in getting the rail programme of work underway. But for this to happen, we need ongoing investment in rail, and not just in the form of money.

The future of rail in Aotearoa and support to get this sector moving with funding coming online through KiwiRail is exciting—we just need to keep it on track.