EU project STAFFER determines future qualification needs of railway specialists

Which skills, knowledge and qualifications will (young) skilled workers need in the industries and professions of tomorrow? The search for an answer is often like looking into the crystal ball - but it doesn't have to be. Because it can also be done in a very practical way. In order to develop a blueprint strategy for the European railway and rail sector that identifies the current and future qualification needs of rail professionals and specialists, a consortium of 32 partners from across the European Union and its rail community joined forces at the end of 2020. In the project "Skill Training Alliance For the Future European Rail System" - STAFFER for short - concrete training and education plans are to be drawn up in cooperation with industry and vocational training institutions to improve employability and career opportunities in the European rail and railway sector.

© STAFFER

Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences contributes knowledge - and wants to use findings

Among the 32 partners in the four-year STAFFER project is the TU Dresden, represented by the Chair of Railway Signalling and Transport Safety Technology at the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences. The head of the professorship, Prof. Jochen Trinckauf, says: "Research and teaching around railway systems, railway technology and railway vehicles have a long tradition at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences. For decades, we have been training globally sought-after specialists and experts for the rail and railway sector and all related areas. With our teaching, we have always had our finger on the pulse of the times and want to remain so. That is why participation in the STAFFER project is of great importance to us - be it to contribute our knowledge, but also to use the new findings for our teaching and study programmes."

Career in the railway sector? TU Dresden involved in two work packages

Within the nine defined work packages in STAFFER, the project team of the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences is particularly involved in the "Identification of current and future skills and competence requirements" from a technical, organisational and business management perspective. "In addition, the TUD team is involved in developing a strategy and action plan to increase the attractiveness of the rail sector as a career path ('Making the rail sector a great place to work')," explains Dr. Elena Queck, who is in charge of the project within the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences.

Project as an important building block for achieving the goals of the EU's "Green Deal"

Rail is an important driver for the strategic European goal of smart, green and sustainable economic growth. With a share of less than 2 percent of the final energy consumption in transport, rail will be the backbone of the environmentally friendly European transport system of tomorrow. However, the sector is currently suffering from a severe shortage of specialists and skilled workers. Moreover, a large part of the workforce will retire in the next 10 years, while at the same time technological developments require higher skill levels and qualifications. To draw attention to the importance of railways and railways, the EU has declared 2021 the "European Year of Rail".

"Based on the results from the STAFFER project, among other things, study programmes will be revised, Europe-wide mobility programmes will be established and work-related internships for students, trainees and employees will be created. STAFFER aims to deliver human capital solutions at all levels of the rail value chain, covering the needs of both the supply industry and rail operators," says Elena Queck. "STAFFER is about strengthening the railway transport system in a European context. With the talents it needs to manage the green as well as digital transformation, the sector will be able to offer more and improved products and services. As such, the project is an important building block in achieving the goals of the EU's Green Deal."

Contact für the projekt at TU Dresden, "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences:
Dr.-Ing. Elena Queck
Professur für Verkehrssicherungstechnik
E-Mail:

About the STAFFER project:
The intra-European project Skill Training Alliance For the Future European Rail System (STAFFER) is scheduled for four years. The consortium of 32 project partners has set itself the goal of developing a holistic strategy that identifies current and future qualification requirements and thus contributes to the further development of degree programmes in the railway sector. In order to identify the necessary qualification needs and to improve cooperation, the 32 project partners include industry stakeholders such as Siemens and Deutsche Bahn. The project is led by the University of Genoa (Italy). STAFFER is funded by the ERASMUS+ programme of the European Union under the leadership of the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC). The ERASMUS+ programme promotes general and vocational education, training, sport and youth in Europe. In the higher education sector, the focus is not only on semesters abroad for students, but also on university staff and cooperation between universities and partners within and outside Europe.

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