Upskilling workers in technology and cyber security roles is ‘paramount’

The new technologies arriving in freight transport and handling require ‘the simultaneous upskilling of the workforce to manage and utilise them efficiently’.

The ports and shipping industry will require a skilled workforce to prevent cyber security events and to mitigate the adverse effects of any such incidents.

Top business lobby, the Australian Industry Group, says the new technologies arriving in freight transport and handling require “the simultaneous upskilling of the workforce to manage and utilise them efficiently’’.

Such needs can be met by co-ordinating the implementation of skills requirements across the country; through diplomas and other vocational education and training qualifications, AiG says in a submission to the Productivity Commission’s current maritime inquiry.

“Using specialised port management equipment and software requires upskilling the workforce … not only to enable the better management of the current infrastructure but also to allow the integration of greater automation,’’ AiG says.

“Any improvements in the shipping sector must also be accompanied by improvements in the transport and logistics sector. This will require the upskilling of transport and logistic workers to be able to incorporate the use of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and data analytics.’’

AiG says the commission “should analyse the need for skills and training upgrades to match planned and infrastructure improvements’’.

The association says there is increasing use of autonomous vessels in the shipping industry, and “a need to upgrade regulatory and safety codes to keep up with the change’’.

It says Australian transport and logistic enterprises are expected to use blockchain for financial reconciliation, tracking goods and services, and supply chain reporting.

“There are also experiments involving the use of fatigue-management technologies which can send warnings to drivers,’’ AiG says.

Turning to information security, AiG says greater automation will mean “greater vulnerability to cyber threats, as autonomous systems rely on the proper functioning of their computer systems’’.

It says the ports and shipping industry will require a skilled workforce to prevent cyber security events and to mitigate the adverse effects of any such incident.

“Especially considering the recent Optus data breach, ensuring the digital safety of critical infrastructure assets is of paramount importance. The commission should analyse the cybersecurity dimensions of port infrastructure investments,’’ AiG says.

Truck operators are worried about the cost of more automation.

Road Freight NSW says that while they deliver some productivity improvements, “software systems come at a cost for landside operators and appear to have their own burgeoning fee structures that encumber road freight operators with additional and now increasing costs that seem difficult to justify’’.

It says “competition is essential in this service provision and requires vigilance’’.