22.11.12
Training for women in rail industry announced
Government funding has been secured to provide rail employers with training and mentoring for women working in their business. The money was awarded through the UK Commission for Employment and Skills’ Employer Investment Fund to Women 1st.
In the rail industry, just 23% of management positions are held by women, while 98% of train drivers and virtually 100% of rail construction and maintenance operatives are male.
The funding will help Women 1st to develop a new pre-employment training programme to attract women into non-traditional roles and address the lack of women in the industry. Women will also be able to take part in the Step Up management training at a significant discount.
Women 1st founder, Sharon Glancy, said: “Research points to the fact that leadership teams with a good balance of men and women perform better. A recent report from Catalyst showed that companies with women on their boards outperformed those with all-male boards by 26 percent in recent years. And with the EU threatening to introduce quotas for women on boards, it’s an issue that businesses can no longer afford to ignore.
“We understand that achieving this balance is not easy for industries like rail which, despite offering a wealth of fantastic opportunities, is not always seen as a traditional career choice for women. We also recognise that it's impossible to make change at the top without first addressing the issues that rail companies face in first attracting women into non-traditional roles, and then enabling them to progress through the industry.
“We’re delighted to have secured this funding to help employers on this journey. We look forward to bringing Women 1st’s experience and expertise to the rail industry, and have worked closely with businesses to make sure that our programmes will give women the skills they need to build a successful rail career.”
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