Final Report Summary - FUTURAIL (Job Opportunities for the Railway Community of Tomorrow)
The purpose
The European railway sector needs to upgrade its knowledge, skills and competencies by:
- investing in research development and in innovative technological upgrading;
- implementing new legal and economics settings that enable the sector to be more agile and competitive;
- attracting new talents and skilled staff with ambitions to face the challenges of the sector.
FUTURAIL aims to contribute to European surface transport research program implementation and to the enhancement of the railway sector by fostering a better match between the human resources needs to make railways a more competitive and innovative sector and the offer of skills coming out of the different research based education and training institutions across Europe. In this context, FUTURAIL does not aim to develop new research but simply develop a matching function that is to bring the existing knowledge near the existing needs for a successful synergy.
Description of work
Science, research and innovation - Dissemination
FUTURAIL project was developed around the dissemination of the social, economic and industrial benefits of education and research in the railway sector. Attractiveness examples including five technical visits, two exhibitions/workshops/seminar, one summer school, website and three newsletters were undertaken in the project with the aim to promote of the idea that society needs advanced technologies and further education as applied to a highly innovative and technological developed sector.
Mainstreaming gender balance
The issue of mainstreaming gender balance as a resource for railway transport research was extensively pursued. Actions promoting and supporting women participation for the benefit of outstanding railway transports research and industry were identified and carried out. With the aim to raise awareness of high skilled job opportunities for women in railway science, research and innovation, seminars, dissemination media and workshops where organised. Best practices in promoting and supporting women participation in railway transport research have been disseminated. A gender help desk was established using the FUTURAIL website.
Railway, an economic sector for the future
The necessary skills and expertises for the future jobs in the railway sector were identified. One workshop and a final conference promoted closer links between demand (rail industry and operators) and providers (universities) of academic education and training.
Strategic impact
A number of impacts are expected in the fulfilment of FUTURAIL's mission, namely:
- raise awareness of the railways vision and the intense on-going transformation process with the aim to contribute for the change of the public image of railways;
- disseminate good practices in the sector with the double effects of transmitting practical knowledge and also motivating the present and future railway staff;
- demonstrate and disseminate the need of advanced high technology engineering in the future of railways;
- demonstrate and disseminate the need of additional domains of knowledge that should complement engineering, such economics, management and sociology.
By placing research information where it is most needed FUTURAIL will help bridging the past and future of the railways sector in Europe:
i) between staff generations
ii) between old and new processes
iii) between past and future technologies and
iv) between decision level within and beyond the railways sector.
The European railway sector needs to upgrade its knowledge, skills and competencies by:
- investing in research development and in innovative technological upgrading;
- implementing new legal and economics settings that enable the sector to be more agile and competitive;
- attracting new talents and skilled staff with ambitions to face the challenges of the sector.
FUTURAIL aims to contribute to European surface transport research program implementation and to the enhancement of the railway sector by fostering a better match between the human resources needs to make railways a more competitive and innovative sector and the offer of skills coming out of the different research based education and training institutions across Europe. In this context, FUTURAIL does not aim to develop new research but simply develop a matching function that is to bring the existing knowledge near the existing needs for a successful synergy.
Description of work
Science, research and innovation - Dissemination
FUTURAIL project was developed around the dissemination of the social, economic and industrial benefits of education and research in the railway sector. Attractiveness examples including five technical visits, two exhibitions/workshops/seminar, one summer school, website and three newsletters were undertaken in the project with the aim to promote of the idea that society needs advanced technologies and further education as applied to a highly innovative and technological developed sector.
Mainstreaming gender balance
The issue of mainstreaming gender balance as a resource for railway transport research was extensively pursued. Actions promoting and supporting women participation for the benefit of outstanding railway transports research and industry were identified and carried out. With the aim to raise awareness of high skilled job opportunities for women in railway science, research and innovation, seminars, dissemination media and workshops where organised. Best practices in promoting and supporting women participation in railway transport research have been disseminated. A gender help desk was established using the FUTURAIL website.
Railway, an economic sector for the future
The necessary skills and expertises for the future jobs in the railway sector were identified. One workshop and a final conference promoted closer links between demand (rail industry and operators) and providers (universities) of academic education and training.
Strategic impact
A number of impacts are expected in the fulfilment of FUTURAIL's mission, namely:
- raise awareness of the railways vision and the intense on-going transformation process with the aim to contribute for the change of the public image of railways;
- disseminate good practices in the sector with the double effects of transmitting practical knowledge and also motivating the present and future railway staff;
- demonstrate and disseminate the need of advanced high technology engineering in the future of railways;
- demonstrate and disseminate the need of additional domains of knowledge that should complement engineering, such economics, management and sociology.
By placing research information where it is most needed FUTURAIL will help bridging the past and future of the railways sector in Europe:
i) between staff generations
ii) between old and new processes
iii) between past and future technologies and
iv) between decision level within and beyond the railways sector.
