The UIC Asia-Pacific Training Session 2018 on Best Human Resources & Training Practices for Railways, kindly hosted by the Russian University of Transport (RUT), took place in Moscow from 21 to 23 March 2018. 35 participants from Korea (KORAIL), Vietnam (VNR), Azerbaijan (AZ-ADY), Kazakhstan (KTZ), Mongolia (UBTZ), Russia (RZD, NIIAS, RUT), Italy (RFI), Serbia (Infrastructure of Serbian Railways), Austria (ÖBB), Germany (DB Engineering & Consulting), Portugal (Infraestruturas de Portugal), CPCS, etc., attended the training session, while speakers from Morocco (French-Moroccan IFF) and Germany (DB) contributed via videoconference. The attendees were hosted by Boris Lyovin, rector of the RUT.
The session offered an opportunity for participants to share their knowledge and experience in many subject areas. As mentioned by Mr Evgeny Zarechkin, Director of the Centre of Strategic Programs at the Russian University of Transport, technology is developing so rapidly that railways will need a larger set of skills and competences to face the challenges of the future, and at a higher level. In this context, all of the participants expressed their desire to continue to share knowledge and best practice, and to develop best-in-class strategies for:
- Organisation of training in specific technical fields (such as locomotive driving, infrastructure maintenance, signalling, etc.), taking into account two prevailing approaches on training management via corporate HRM departments and via relevant technical departments,
- Training employees for high-speed rail
- Assessment of HR training in term of costs and efficiency
- Involvement of corporate and outsourced instructors and trainers in technical training
- Developing international forms of rail training
- Qualification frameworks and relevant terms.
The participants were given the opportunity to become acquainted with training facilities at the RUT, its lyceum and technical college, as well as a training centre for professional qualifications at the Russian Railways, which also participated actively in organising the session.
Taking into account the various projects and initiatives developed by UIC, the participants and all APRA members may wish to consider:
- Participating in the next APNRTC in Chengdu (China), 25-26 April 2018 (https://events.uic.org/10th-apnrtc-seminar)
- Participating in the APRA project on core rail job profiles (please contact Mr Zarechkin: zarech_e@mail.ru)
- Participating in the UIC-KORAIL training session on railway maintenance and operation in the digital era in Seoul (Korea) from 18 to 22 June 2018 (please contact Ms Beatrice Segeral: segeral@uic.org)
- Participating in the WCRT 2019 in Morocco (please contact Ms Nathalie Amirault: amirault@uic.org)
- Joining RailUniNet (an initiative within the framework of the UIC Talent project), once it is available in a new format (www.railtalent.org)
- Participating in the Transport of the Future contest for youth projects announced for 2018-2019
- Participating in the development of rail competences as appropriate as part of the WorldSkills movement.
