Name: Insights from the rails: Personal experiences at Wabtec
Uploaded: 2023-11-03T02:54:54.550Z
Duration: 343.25

Insights from the rails 2.mp4

Insights from the rails.vtt

Subtitles

{{00:00:11}}
I don't know if this is sad
or not, but I've been part

{{00:00:14}}
of rail for my entire career.

{{00:00:17}}
Basically finished high school and
then worked through a cadetship program

{{00:00:21}}
through an OEM within Australia.

{{00:00:23}}
I think some of that, from the
skills and diversity standpoint is

{{00:00:26}}
probably lacking at the moment where
we're taking people directly from

{{00:00:29}}
grassroots into the railroad industry.

{{00:00:32}}
I then took a major leap and moved
from the east coast of Australia

{{00:00:37}}
in Newcastle all the way to Port
Hedland without even going there.

{{00:00:41}}
Worked with the heavy miners like
BHP and then moved back to the

{{00:00:45}}
OEM space through Wabtec and been
with them for now eight years.

{{00:00:50}}
And now in my current role looking after
Asia Pacific, I get good engagement

{{00:00:55}}
in many different cultures and many
different ways that railroads operate.

{{00:00:59}}
I think it's a great experience,
people being flexible and yeah we need

{{00:01:04}}
to make rails, rail more exciting.

{{00:01:12}}
Well I'm very lucky to be part of
a company that embraces technology

{{00:01:16}}
as a value of our customers and our
mission to be a decarbonized world.

{{00:01:23}}
The way we do it is to
really be at the forefront.

{{00:01:25}}
We want to be the best technology
provider in the railroad industry,

{{00:01:30}}
which means we innovate, we invest,
and we make sure that our products are

{{00:01:34}}
fit for all of our customers purposes.

{{00:01:42}}
There's so much to be
excited about at the moment.

{{00:01:44}}
There's so many different innovations from
the signaling systems, from new locomotive

{{00:01:50}}
technology to zero emissions technology.

{{00:01:52}}
So we've got battery, we've
got hydrogen fuel cell, we have

{{00:01:58}}
all different technologies with
biofuels and alternative diesels.

{{00:02:02}}
There's so much out there at the moment
and I'm glad to be part of a business

{{00:02:06}}
and an industry that is really striving
to become a zero emissions railroads,

{{00:02:12}}
and customers, and then our business as
Wabtec is really at the forefront of that.

{{00:02:24}}
I think it takes focus.

{{00:02:25}}
If I look at myself, I'm part
of the Employee Resource Group,

{{00:02:30}}
Women of Wabtec, and the Chair
across Australia and New Zealand.

{{00:02:34}}
And whilst it shouldn't be something
that we have to take focus on, it

{{00:02:37}}
should just be something normal.

{{00:02:39}}
Unfortunately it does.

{{00:02:40}}
And we've got to put programs and
ideas out there to really increase

{{00:02:45}}
the engagement across our industry.

{{00:02:47}}
And really get young people,
diverse talent, and female talent

{{00:02:51}}
to be part and excited to be
part of the railroad industry.

{{00:02:55}}
So I actually studied medical engineering
straight out of high school and at uni.

{{00:03:07}}
And I started my career in a hospital
in terms of asset management roles

{{00:03:13}}
then moved into the electricity
utility in Western Australia, worked

{{00:03:17}}
for Western Power in various roles in
terms of asset management, contract

{{00:03:22}}
management and large customer
connections on the transmission network.

{{00:03:26}}
That was for nine years and then
I was tapped on the shoulder by a

{{00:03:30}}
recruiter to actually move to the
rail industry and I thought, why not?

{{00:03:35}}
Got nothing to lose.

{{00:03:36}}
So I've now been here for 18 months
in the rail industry and just recently

{{00:03:40}}
changed roles and I'm enjoying the
challenge and learning something new.

{{00:03:44}}
So it's just opened up
a lot of doors for me.

{{00:03:50}}
Resilience to me means bouncing back.

{{00:03:56}}
So being a female in engineering,
there's certainly been a number

{{00:04:00}}
of hurdles right from the start
of university to the first job.

{{00:04:05}}
There was a lot of I'd almost say
walls, but you get through those,

{{00:04:09}}
you learn from them, you build a
thicker skin and you just bounce back.

{{00:04:14}}
There's been a number of business,
big business decisions that I've

{{00:04:16}}
been part of that have directly
impacted a lot of my colleagues.

{{00:04:20}}
You just get through them, with
each other and you just treat each

{{00:04:23}}
other, like human beings essentially.

{{00:04:31}}
I got into rail in my
final year at university.

{{00:04:34}}
There was an advert for a sponsorship
for a final year project and I was

{{00:04:38}}
fortunate to be introduced to the very
exciting breadth and depth of rail

{{00:04:42}}
engineering when it comes to wheel
rail interaction and vehicle dynamics.

{{00:04:53}}
I think telling the story
starts from a very young age.

{{00:04:56}}
Kids can't imagine being what
they don't get exposed to.

{{00:05:00}}
I know that in Australia, Andrew
King has done a series of books

{{00:05:05}}
introducing kids to engineering roles
through a character called Engie Bear.

{{00:05:09}}
He's also done one
specific on the railway.

{{00:05:11}}
So I think it starts from a
young age and infiltration then

{{00:05:14}}
through school and university.

{{00:05:16}}
I think it's important that where we are
able to, we advertise the rail industry.

{{00:05:22}}
In universities, if it's by final
year projects, like how I got

{{00:05:25}}
introduced to the railway or if it's
just through guest speakers or an

{{00:05:30}}
opportunity to be integrated into
the syllabus where it complements the

{{00:05:35}}
engineering topics being discussed.

I don't know if this is sad
or not, but I've been part

Basically finished high school and
then worked through a cadetship program

I think some of that, from the
skills and diversity standpoint is

probably lacking at the moment where
we're taking people directly from

I then took a major leap and moved
from the east coast of Australia

in Newcastle all the way to Port
Hedland without even going there.

Worked with the heavy miners like
BHP and then moved back to the

OEM space through Wabtec and been
with them for now eight years.

And now in my current role looking after
Asia Pacific, I get good engagement

in many different cultures and many
different ways that railroads operate.

I think it's a great experience,
people being flexible and yeah we need

Well I'm very lucky to be part of
a company that embraces technology

as a value of our customers and our
mission to be a decarbonized world.

The way we do it is to
really be at the forefront.

We want to be the best technology
provider in the railroad industry,

which means we innovate, we invest,
and we make sure that our products are

There's so much to be
excited about at the moment.

There's so many different innovations from
the signaling systems, from new locomotive

So we've got battery, we've
got hydrogen fuel cell, we have

all different technologies with
biofuels and alternative diesels.

There's so much out there at the moment
and I'm glad to be part of a business

and an industry that is really striving
to become a zero emissions railroads,

and customers, and then our business as
Wabtec is really at the forefront of that.

If I look at myself, I'm part
of the Employee Resource Group,

Women of Wabtec, and the Chair
across Australia and New Zealand.

And whilst it shouldn't be something
that we have to take focus on, it

And we've got to put programs and
ideas out there to really increase

And really get young people,
diverse talent, and female talent

to be part and excited to be
part of the railroad industry.

So I actually studied medical engineering
straight out of high school and at uni.

And I started my career in a hospital
in terms of asset management roles

then moved into the electricity
utility in Western Australia, worked

for Western Power in various roles in
terms of asset management, contract

management and large customer
connections on the transmission network.

That was for nine years and then
I was tapped on the shoulder by a

recruiter to actually move to the
rail industry and I thought, why not?

So I've now been here for 18 months
in the rail industry and just recently

changed roles and I'm enjoying the
challenge and learning something new.

So it's just opened up
a lot of doors for me.

So being a female in engineering,
there's certainly been a number

of hurdles right from the start
of university to the first job.

There was a lot of I'd almost say
walls, but you get through those,

you learn from them, you build a
thicker skin and you just bounce back.

There's been a number of business,
big business decisions that I've

been part of that have directly
impacted a lot of my colleagues.

You just get through them, with
each other and you just treat each

I got into rail in my
final year at university.

There was an advert for a sponsorship
for a final year project and I was

fortunate to be introduced to the very
exciting breadth and depth of rail

engineering when it comes to wheel
rail interaction and vehicle dynamics.

I think telling the story
starts from a very young age.

Kids can't imagine being what
they don't get exposed to.

I know that in Australia, Andrew
King has done a series of books

introducing kids to engineering roles
through a character called Engie Bear.

He's also done one
specific on the railway.

So I think it starts from a
young age and infiltration then

I think it's important that where we are
able to, we advertise the rail industry.

In universities, if it's by final
year projects, like how I got

introduced to the railway or if it's
just through guest speakers or an

opportunity to be integrated into
the syllabus where it complements the

Heavy Haul Rail

Expert Insight

Gain valuable industry knowledge and hear firsthand accounts from seasoned rail professionals Dean Newburn, Chantal Ivory, and Shelley Sonnekus as they share their personal experiences and insights on the cutting-edge innovations featured at Wabtec Corporation. Explore the latest advancements in the industry and gain a deeper understanding of the passion and expertise that drives the success of Wabtec.