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Transportation

Singapore Rail Academy gets a wider role in building a future-ready workforce

Transportation via Railway Gazette
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SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority and metro operators SBS Transit and SMRT Trains are to jointly administer the Singapore Rail Academy from November 1, when the academy will take on an expanded mandate to strengthen training and professional development for the country’s entire rail workforce. LTA said the aim is to build a highly skilled and future-ready rail workforce, and to improve the attractiveness of the rail sector to a new generation of engineers, technicians and operational staff. SGRA was established by LTA in 2017 and now conducts more than 20 training sessions annually for about 500 rail engineers who are new to the rail industry. In line with the recommendations of the Rail Reliability Taskforce released in February, the academy will now adopt a more co-ordinated and sector-wide approach. This will include harmonised training policies and standards, industry-recognised certification and qualifications, as well as clearer and more structured education and career pathways. SGRA will work with industry and academic partners to broaden the scope of its curricula and assessment frameworks, incorporating developments in areas such as artificial intelligence, condition monitoring and simulation-based training. An advisory panel of international and local rail experts will provide strategic guidance and share international best practice on training and capability development. From early 2027, SGRA will progressively establish a rail-sector Workforce Skills Qualifications certification framework, starting from Basic Certificates in Railway Operations and Railway Maintenance. The target is for 20% of the operations and maintenance workforce to be recognised under the scheme, so they can serve as trainers and share their skills with colleagues. SGRA will also partner with institutes of higher learning to develop more structured and complementary programmes for the rail sector, with pathways for new and existing rail professionals to build up industry-relevant skills and qualifications, including at the Higher Nitec and Diploma levels. SGRA’s programmes complement those offered to the wider operations and maintenance workforces by the SMRT Institute and SBS Transit’s Rail Training Institute, which will now be audited by SGRA to ensure adherence to harmonised standards.

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority and metro operators SBS Transit and SMRT Trains are to jointly administer the Singapore Rail Academy from November 1, when the academy will take on an expanded mandate to strengthen training and professional development for the country’s entire rail workforce.

LTA said the aim is to build a highly skilled and future-ready rail workforce, and to improve the attractiveness of the rail sector to a new generation of engineers, technicians and operational staff.

SGRA was established by LTA in 2017 and now conducts more than 20 training sessions annually for about 500 rail engineers who are new to the rail industry.

In line with the recommendations of the Rail Reliability Taskforce released in February, the academy will now adopt a more co-ordinated and sector-wide approach. This will include harmonised training policies and standards, industry-recognised certification and qualifications, as well as clearer and more structured education and career pathways.

SGRA will work with industry and academic partners to broaden the scope of its curricula and assessment frameworks, incorporating developments in areas such as artificial intelligence, condition monitoring and simulation-based training. An advisory panel of international and local rail experts will provide strategic guidance and share international best practice on training and capability development.

From early 2027, SGRA will progressively establish a rail-sector Workforce Skills Qualifications certification framework, starting from Basic Certificates in Railway Operations and Railway Maintenance. The target is for 20% of the operations and maintenance workforce to be recognised under the scheme, so they can serve as trainers and share their skills with colleagues.

SGRA will also partner with institutes of higher learning to develop more structured and complementary programmes for the rail sector, with pathways for new and existing rail professionals to build up industry-relevant skills and qualifications, including at the Higher Nitec and Diploma levels.

SGRA’s programmes complement those offered to the wider operations and maintenance workforces by the SMRT Institute and SBS Transit’s Rail Training Institute, which will now be audited by SGRA to ensure adherence to harmonised standards.

Source: Railway Gazette

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