Ready for a career in rail
Three local workers from Broadford and Euroa have secured career-launching roles on Inland Rail, following their completion of the project’s Rail Readiness course.
September 9, 2025
The two trainees and one full-time employee attended Rail Readiness courses at Euroa and Broadford and outperformed 30 applicants to land roles with Inland Rail’s construction partner, John Holland.
Based at Broadford, Tahlea Jefferies has started her rail career as a Safety Trainee while studying for a Certificate IV in Work, Health and Safety, and Hayden Johnson has secured a role as an Administration Trainee while completing a Certificate III in Business Administration.
Euroa local, Meghan Ellis, was appointed to a full-time role as a Site Administration Officer for the Euroa and Benalla sites.
The Rail Readiness program is a three-day training course coordinated by the Inland Rail Skills Academy, offering participants an understanding of the requirements for a career in rail and construction.
The course is delivered in partnership with high-performance mentoring and training organisation, Yakka Training, and focuses on safety, mental fitness, psychosocial hazards, workplace readiness, and being fit for duty in the rail industry.
Stephen Jones, Inland Rail Executive Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainability, said:
‘Inland Rail is opening doorways and encouraging people to enter the rail industry.
‘The rail industry provides a rewarding and ongoing career path, and we want to upskill people who share our values, regardless of their background.
‘After completing the courses, the three successful candidates were interviewed by John Holland, making it easier for local community members to move into jobs with our contractors.
‘Inland Rail has provided considerable regional employment and business opportunities since the project commenced.
‘More than 2700 people have been employed on the project in Victoria.’
Steve Butcher, John Holland Managing Director of Rail & Transport, said:
‘At John Holland we’re committed to developing talent for the rail industry.
‘There are lots of opportunities and we want to play our part in making sure people have the skills and experience to meet the industry’s needs of the future.
‘We’re thrilled we could provide opportunities for people from the local community to gain industry experience and start their journey in the rail industry.
‘We’re continuing to work with our partners on development opportunities throughout our Rail & Transport division.’
Tahlea Jefferies, Safety Trainee, Broadford, said:
‘I’m a Safety Trainee with John Holland on the Inland Rail project.
‘I signed up for the Rail Readiness program because it seemed like an amazing opportunity. The course helped strengthen my knowledge of safety in the construction industry.
‘I was contacted by John Holland about attending an interview for one of their traineeship roles, which was super exciting.
‘My study is online so it’s easy to manage between that and work. My team is also super supportive and ensures I get time to finish all my study tasks. They have also helped me by participating in assignments.
‘I love the team and the environment; I have been given such an amazing opportunity. I feel very lucky.
‘This position can help me grow within John Holland and allow me to grow into a safety advisor role.’
Meghan Ellis, Site Administrator, Euroa, said:
”I’m Euroa born and raised. I am the site admin for Euroa and my role is a combination of accounts, data entry, assisting the engineers with their dockets, and helping the team wherever I can.
‘I wanted to work in the rail industry for some years after meeting friends who have worked in all aspects of the industry.
‘The course was a great refresher on a lot of topics I already had knowledge on. The rail portion of the course was incredibly well delivered, and Joel was super helpful with any queries.
‘I’d been following the project for a few years. It’s been exciting watching it all unfold from afar and now being a part of a great change to the community, is amazing.
‘After the three-day course I was given an opportunity to interview with John Holland and Inland Rail. It’s been amazing meeting and working with a diverse range of people, and learning about engineering, rail, and construction.
‘I’ve felt so welcome and included, they’ve really made to feel a part of the team.
‘It’s also great to represent Euroa and be able to share my town with everyone.
‘I hope to stay with John Holland after the project, would love to continue to upskill and grow my knowledge and work on future projects!’
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September 9, 2025