Lifelong passion propels Jay into dream career

When asked when his love for trains began, Jay couldn’t recall a specific moment - it’s just always been a part of him.

With both sets of grandparents having an interest in model trains and a great-grandfather who was a train driver, it seems like it was in his DNA to pursue a career in rail. Kylie, Jay’s mum, recalled taking him on trains from a young age and seeing Jay’s enthusiasm.

“When he was little, we used to go across level crossings, and he’d just want to see the train. He had a big interest from a very young age”.

This fascination continued as Jay grew – so when the time came for Jay to select his year 11 and 12 subjects, the Certificate ll in Heavy and Light Rail at Hallam Secondary College was an obvious choice.

The course, which is developed by the Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP)’s Rail Academy in conjunction with industry experts, runs for two years and covers a variety of rail and rail Infrastructure aspects aligned to the four major operational areas of rail:  operations, infrastructure, rolling stock and customer service.

Thanks to Rail Academy, more than 45 students are currently studying the certificate across Victoria in 2024. The course covers different roles and skills in rail, helping students to realise their own dreams of working in the sector – while getting a qualification that counts towards their VCE.

While Kylie was initially unsure about this specialist study pathway for Jay, “it turned out to be an excellent thing”. Jay found great enjoyment in learning from the trainers, who were “really knowledgeable on the topics we were talking about”.

For Kylie, the course gave her son “good exposure to other occupations that support the industry – it gave him something that really suited him and kept him engaged at school”.

Some of this exposure included the Rail Academy team taking the students on excursions to places that are otherwise difficult to access, such as train and tram depots and maintenance facilities to experience what happens behind-the-scenes. These visits help give the students a deeper understanding of the day-to-day operations while meeting those who can share their own experiences and industry knowledge with them.

During their last term of study, Jay and his cohort participated in an Industry Recruitment Workshop at the Rail Academy’s training facilities in Newport. As part of the workshop, they were given advice on their resumes, interview preparation tips and the chance to undertake mock interviews with real industry recruiters, including Metro Train Melbourne (MTM), V/Line, Alstom and the Department of Transport and Planning.

During this session, Jay met the recruitment team from MTM’s Rolling Stock Division. They spoke about what life is like working at MTM and the apprenticeships available.

Knowing he had a strong foundational knowledge in a variety of areas in rail and a lifelong passion, Jay decided to apply for the apprenticeship shortly after the session concluded. Jay was then invited to come in for a formal interview, where he also successfully completed their psychometric testing, securing him the role with MTM.

Babette De Wit from the recruitment team at MTM credits Jay’s successful application not only to his skills and knowledge, but also how the interview skills workshop provided them with the opportunity to meet face-to-face with potential applicants, “have a conversation and see their excitement and passion for the industry”.

“It’s good for us as business to introduce ourselves to those who are clearly very interested in this industry.” Said Babette. “These people have already invested their time and commitment to undertake the studies. It’s building a strong foundation for future talent.”

Having since commenced his role with MTM, Jay has had an overwhelmingly positive experience.

“I’ve enjoyed it heaps. The people I’m working with have been really good, it’s stuff that I’m interested in… I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to do it”.

When asked if Jay has advice for those interested in undertaking the certificate, Jay said to “keep at it, because once you’ve got that certification, it can look pretty good on your resume when you apply for other jobs in the industry.” It also had the added benefit of providing knowledge ahead of time. “When I had to do my trackside safety awareness, a lot of that had already been covered in the program… it’s helpful."

Kylie echoed that sentiment, encouraging prospective parents. "If it’s an area that they’re interested in, it’s just going to help them grow into that area more”.