To create thousands of new job opportunities and stay competitive among OECD countries, Australia must upskill its workforce for digitalisation and automation in the transport sector.

In a new report by iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre and Swinburne University, researchers focused on the evolving workforce requirements for adoption of digital technologies in the transport sector.

The report, which is entitled “Creating our future transport and mobility workforce: Understanding the workforce implications of transport digitalisation and automation in Australia,” acknowledges that transport digitalisation and automation, which will be fuelled by technologies such as electric vehicles (EV), connected and automated vehicles (CAV), and blockchain, will significantly affect the transport sector with some jobs changing or turning obsolete.

The report also identifies many new job opportunities that will require upskilling the workforce with the right skills. Some of these new job opportunities include transport aides, fleet service technicians, and software engineering.

A case study on electric vehicles (EVs) within the iMOVE report revealed that a 50 per cent EV uptake by 2030 could boost real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $2.9 billion and create 13,400 new jobs.

The iMOVE report emphasises key digital and automation skills expected to be in high demand in the next few years, which includes knowledge of simulation tools, autonomous robots, IoT solutions, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.

The report also highlights the value of soft skills, such as communication, critical thinking, and complex problem-solving.

Researchers call for a nationally orchestrated approach to address the digital skills gap, including updated secondary and tertiary education training, tax breaks and credits for employer-based training, a national grants program, and a national digital literacy curriculum.

More broadly in the transport sector, the report highlights 18 occupations facing high automation probability, and which will result in changing skills needs in those areas.

Researchers believe that by addressing data gaps, co-designing training courses and materials, and developing a framework for digital skills by occupation in transport and freight sectors, Australia can ensure its workforce is well-equipped for the future.

“Automated vehicles and digitalisation in the transport sector are set to redefine the workforce, creating both opportunities and challenges,” said Ian Christensen, iMOVE CRC Managing Director. “While some tasks could be redefined in the longer term, the demand for other jobs or skills is also expected to rise.”

Meanwhile, Prof. Hussein Dia of Swinburne University of Technology said that the transport industry is undergoing rapid developments in key trends that will shape the mobility landscape for the next two decades.

“Advancements in connected and automated vehicles, warehouse digitalisation and automation, vehicle electrification, and artificial intelligence are all significant technologies on their own. But the real game-changer is when these technologies converge, creating a powerful combined effect that will drive unprecedented innovation and value,” Dia said.

The final report can be accessed here.