As a marker for the culmination of Women’s History Month, the train operator Northern is urging for more women to apply for driver roles across its network, consisting of 3,000km of track.
Commenting on this, Tricia Williams chief operating officer at Northern said:
“We have hundreds of train drivers in our business but less than 10 per cent are women - we want to change that.
“Driving trains is for everyone whether you’re just starting out in your career, a working parent or are looking for a career change.
“Northern is a great place to work for everyone and our aim is to create a culture where people feel value and included.”
The rail sector has traditionally been viewed as a male dominated sector and Northern, amongst many other organisations within the industry, is keen to break down these barriers and create a more inclusive, modernised railway that represents the passengers that it serves.
Encouraging women of all ages and backgrounds to view rail as a viable career path will have transformative affects not just for the sector, driving forward innovative approaches to existing challenges whilst creating a more representative workforce, but also for the enrichment of social value and attitudes towards traditionally male dominated career paths and progressions.
Emma Chester, one of Northern’s newest driver recruits said:
“As a young person, it can be hard to pick the right career. I wanted to get into a job that had long term prospects, a good salary and a place where I could train while I worked.
“No one really talked about the railway when I was in school, but I always knew I wanted to do something a little bit different. Joining the railway has been the best decision I've ever made.”
Northern has also seen applicants with a background in policing, education and healthcare among other fields.
Northern train drivers enjoy a plethora of workplace benefits, including excellent training and development leading to qualifications, a professional role with responsibility and accountability, an impressive salary and the potential of a long-term future within the role.
Northern operates more than 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.
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