- IRC Skills Forecasts:
- IRC membership:
Transport
Overview
This page provides high-level information and data on the Transport industry which comprises four main industry sectors:
- Transport and Logistics
- Rail
- Aviation
- Maritime.
The Transport industry plays a key role in enabling Australia’s economic activity. Without the capacities and capabilities provided by the Transport industry, no passengers or freight would move.
Nationally recognised training for the Transport industry is delivered under the following training packages: AVI - Aviation, MAR - Maritime and TLI - Transport and Logistics.
For more information and data specific to the Aviation, Maritime, Rail, and Transport and Logistics sectors please visit the respective pages.
All data sources are available at the end of the page.
IRC and Skills Forecasts
IRC and Skills Forecasts
Industry cluster snapshot
Industry cluster snapshot
Employment and training snapshot
Road Transport is the largest employing industry sector followed by Transport Support Services with Water Transport being the smallest. Employment levels have generally risen between 2000 and 2019 for Transport related industries except for Water Transport which has seen a decrease in employment levels over the time period. However, employment levels are projected to increase for all sub-sectors over the next 5 years until 2024 except for Air and Space Transport which is projected to decline.
Program enrolments in Transport industry related qualifications declined overall between 2015 (128,000) and 2018 (92,850). Program completions in this industry declined sharply between 2015 and 2016 (from 51,460 to 26,770) but slightly increased in 2017 (28,830) before dipping again to 25,160 completions in 2018. Subject-only enrolments grew steadily between 2015 and 2018, with 252,560 enrolments in 2018.
Industry insights on skills needs
The 2019 Skills Forecasts for the different sectors within Transport industry, Aviation IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast, Maritime IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast, Rail IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast and Transport and Logistics IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast, identify some common themes around future skill demands for the workforce including:
- An ageing workforce will create skills gaps as existing workers retire unless the industry can attract, retain and upskill younger workers.
- New technologies and automation are driving the need for digital skills within the industry, as well as new skills such as those required for maintenance and repair of automated equipment.
- Advancements in autonomous and driverless technology will significantly impact the workforce creating demand for new skill sets to effectively manage and operate a more automated transport and logistics network.
Additionally, the top priority skills common to most the above four Skills Forecasts are health and safety, digital skills and organisational skills. The top 5 generic skills for each Skills Forecast had the following generic skills in common at varying positions in the list:
- Design mindset / Thinking critically / System thinking / Solving problems
- Learning agility / Information literacy / Intellectual autonomy and self-management (adaptability)
- Managerial / Leadership
- Technology.
For more information on skill needs specific to each Transport industry sector please visit the respective pages.
Links and resources
Links and resources
Industry associations and advisory bodies
Aerial Agricultural Association of Australia
Association of Tourist & Heritage Rail Australia
Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association
Australasian Institute of Marine Surveyors
Australasian Railway Association
Australian Airports Association
Australian Business Aviation Association
Australian Commercial Marine Group
Australian Furniture Removers Association
Australian Helicopter Industry Association
Australian Taxi Industry Association
Australian Trucking Association
Australian Warbirds Association
Automotive Training Board – NSW
Aviation Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Business Association
Board of Airline Representatives of Australia (BARA)
Boating Industry Association of Western Australia
Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
Customs Brokers and Forwarders Council of Australia
Industry Skills Advisory Council – NT
Logistics Training Council - WA
Marina Industries Association Australian
Maritime Industry Australia Ltd (MIAL)
Queensland Trucking Association
Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board
Rail Track Association Australia
Recreational Aviation Australia
Regional Aviation Association of Australia
Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) Australian Division
Royal Federation of Aero Clubs of Australia
Supply Chain and Logistics Association of Australia
Transport & Logistics Industry Skills Council
Victorian Transport Association
Waste, Recycling Industry Association (QLD)
Licensing/Regulatory bodies
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Transport Safety Bureau
Civil Aviation Safety Authority
National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator
Employee associations
Australian & International Pilots Association
Australian Federation of Air Pilots
Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
Australian Maritime Officers Union
Flight Attendants Association of Australia
Transport Workers Union of Australia
Relevant research
A National Rail Industry Plan for the Benefit of Australia – Australasian Railway Association
Aviation Policy 2016 – The Australian Aviation Associations Forum
Aviation Safety Regulation Review (2014) – Australian Government
Aviation Workforce Skills Study (2016) – Australian Industry Standards
Improving Workforce Attraction and Retention Rates for Australian Transport and Logistics Companies – P Kahlert (2016)
Rail – Platforms for the Future 2017-35 – Australasian Railway Association
The Economic Contribution of the Australian Maritime Industry – PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
The Future of Aircraft Maintenance in Australia: Workforce Capability, Aviation Safety and Industry Development (2015) – University of NSW
Transport 2050: Lookout! Here Comes the Future – Ferrier Hodgson and Azurium (2017)
Value of Rail (2017) – Deloitte Access Economics
Data sources and notes
Data sources and notes
Department of Employment, 2018, Employment Projections, available from the Labour Market Information Portal by ANZSIC 2 digit industry, employment projections to May 2023.
- 46 Road Transport
- 47 Rail Transport
- 48 Water Transport
- 49 Air and Space Transport
- 52Transport Support Services
- 53Warehousing and Storage Services.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2017, Employed persons by Industry group of main job (ANZSIC), Sex, State and Territory, November 1984 onwards, 6291.0.55.003 - EQ06, viewed 1 November 2018 http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6291.0.55.003May%202018?OpenDocument
- Employed total by ANZSIC 2 digit industry, 2000 to 2018, May quarter
- 46 Road Transport
- 47 Rail Transport
- 48 Water Transport
- 49 Air and Space Transport
- 52 Transport Support Services
- 53 Warehousing and Storage Services.
Training data has been extracted from the National VET Provider Collection, Total VET Students and Courses from the following training packages:
- MAR Maritime Training Package
- AVI Aviation Training Package
- TLI Transport and Logistics Training Package.
This includes superseded qualifications and training packages.
Data covers a range of selected student and training characteristics in the following categories and years:
- 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 program enrolments
- 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 program completions
- 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 subject enrolments.
Total VET students and courses data is reported for the calendar year. Program enrolments are the qualifications, courses and skill-sets in which students are enrolled in a given period. For students enrolled in multiple programs, all programs are counted. Program completion indicates that a student has completed a structured and integrated program of education or training. Location data uses student residence. Subject enrolment is registration of a student at a training delivery location for the purpose of undertaking a module, unit of competency or subject. For more information on the terms and definitions, please refer to the Total VET students and courses: terms and definitions document.
Low counts (less than 5) are not reported to protect client confidentiality.
Percentages are rounded to one decimal place. This can lead to situations where the total sum of proportions in a chart may not add up to exactly 100%.
AVI Aviation Training Package apprentice and trainee data has been extracted from the National Apprentice and Trainee Collection, including:
- 2010 to 2018 commencements
- 2010 to 2018 completions
- 2018 apprentices and trainees in-training October to December 2018 collection, by qualification and state and territory of data submitter.
Priority skills data have been extracted from the Aviation IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast, Maritime IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast, Rail IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast and Transport and Logistics IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast.
Updated: 02 Apr 2020