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

Skills forecasts
IRC membership
Australian Industry Standards –Skills Service Organisation

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 2018 for Transport related industries except for Water Transport which has seen a decrease in employment levels over the time period, and Air and Space Transport which has seen a decrease between 2017 and 2018. However, employment levels are projected to increase for all sub-sectors over the next 5 years until 2023.

Program enrolments in Transport industry related qualifications declined overall between 2014 and 2017 but remained stable between 2016 and 2017 with nearly 110,200 program enrolments in 2017. Program completions in this industry declined sharply between 2015 and 2016 but slightly increased between 2016 and 2017 to over 28,000 completions. Subject-only enrolments grew steadily between 2014 and 2017, with over 203,500 enrolments in 2017.

Industry insights on skills needs

The 2018 IRC Skills Forecasts for the different sectors within Transport industry Aviation IRC Skills Forecast, Maritime IRC Skills Forecast, Rail IRC Skills Forecast, and Transport and Logistics IRC 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 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 skill common to the above four Skills Forecasts is health and safety. All four Skills Forecasts included these top five generic skill needs in varying order:

managerial/leadership
design mindset/thinking critically/system thinking/solving problems
technology
learning agility/information literacy/intellectual autonomy and self-management.

For more information on skill needs specific to each Transport industry sector please visit the respective pages.

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 Logistics Council

Australian Marine Exports

Australian Taxi Industry Association

Australian Trucking Association

Australian Warbirds Association

Automotive Training Board – NSW

Aviation Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Business Association

Aviation/Aerospace Australia

Board of Airline Representatives of Australia (BARA)

Boating Industry Association

Boating Industry Association of Western Australia

Bus Industry Confederation

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

Customs Brokers and Forwarders Council of Australia

Flight Safety Foundation

Industry Skills Advisory Council – NT

Logistics Training Council - WA

Marina Industries Association Australian

Maritime Industry Australia Ltd (MIAL)

NT Road Transport Association

Pro Aviation

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

Safeskies Australia

Shipping Australia

Superyacht Australia

Supply Chain and Logistics Association of Australia

TDT Victoria

Transport & Logistics Industry Skills Council

Victorian Transport Association

Waste, Recycling Industry Association (QLD)

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 – Deloitte Access Economics

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:

2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 program enrolments
2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 program completions
2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 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 2017 commencements
2010 to 2017 completions
2017 apprentices and trainees in-training October to December 2017 collection, by qualification and state and territory of data submitter.

Priority skills data have been extracted from the Aviation IRC Skills Forecast, Maritime IRC Skills Forecast, Rail IRC Skills Forecast, and Transport and Logistics IRC Skills Forecast.

Updated: 16 Sep 2019

Transport

Sectors