Leading public transport provider, Transit Systems, has revealed it has been named as a finalist for the Australian HR Institute (AHRI) Awards 2025, for the Best Attraction, Recruitment and Retention Strategy for its innovative Transit Academy initiative.
The company claims its Transit Academy was developed as a direct and strategic response to the bus driver shortage in Sydney and it addressed critical workforce needs, enhanced operational reliability and patronage, and aligned with the organisation’s diversity and inclusion values. It has built a future-focused training model that has become a blueprint for the transport industry.
The company said the program enabled it to successfully recruit and train an additional 140 drivers required to deliver the majority of Transport for NSW’s challenging rail replacement bus charter contract, a complex task set against a 130-year-old rail line undergoing Metro conversion.
The initiative focussed on attracting new talent to the industry, and has since been successfully deployed in South Australia and is being rolled out in Queensland by Transit Systems.
Transit System said that at its core, the strategy began with leveraging its unparalleled expertise in public transport, particularly from its experienced trainers.
It added that their insights were crucial in crafting a training program that is not only comprehensive in its scope but also highly user-friendly and relevant to real-world operational needs, saying that this direct involvement fostered a strong sense of ownership and commitment among the training team.
Transit Academy created a reimagined recruitment model that is appealing to the next generation of public transport workers by rethinking traditional, lengthy, and unpaid training methods,
It said that this approach has led to significant positive impact, filling vital gaps in vocational education by enhancing employability, prioritising safety, and fostering an improved sense of belonging among new employees.
Transit Systems’ CEO Michael McGee said that the company was proud to be recognised as a finalist by AHRI.
“The Transit Academy is about more than filling training seats, and it is a strategic, leader-driven initiative that redefines the pathway into public transport,” cGee said.
“It is fundamentally changing how we attract new talent into a traditional workforce, making a bus driving career accessible, inclusive, and highly professional. Transit Academy is actively championed by senior leadership to ensure operational excellence, community engagement, inclusivity, and sustainable growth,” he said.
Rino Matarazzo, the managing director of Transit Systems NSW said that facing the task of securing 140 new drivers for our complex rail replacement bus charter work, without using existing drivers, required it to move beyond traditional thinking.
“The Transit Academy not only met this demand but ensured every new driver was trained to the highest level for safety, compliance, and customer service, while embedding a strong sense of belonging from day one, and there is an immediate recognition of the value and contribution and it fosters a strong culture of confidence and collaboration,” Matarazzo said.
Executive GM, for people safety and communications at Transit Systems, Tanya Smith said the core success of the Transit Academy is rooted in consultation and inclusivity.
“By offering paid training and a fast-tracked, efficient program, we’ve made a career change appealing to truck drivers, new entrants, and diverse range of community members,” said Smith.
“We have removed barriers and created an engaging, sustainable and impactful pathway that ensures our employees feel valued and highly competent as they take the wheel in their transport career,” she said.
CEO of the Kelsian Group, Graeme Legh gave his congratulations to the extended team involved and thanked the leadership team.
“They prioritised an investment in people, to ensure we continue to deliver sustainable, reliable, and efficient public transport that make our cities and communities more accessible and liveable,” said Legh.
“This model is not just a solution for Sydney; it sets a benchmark for workforce development that can be successfully replicated across other states and industries facing similar skills shortages,” he concluded.
