In a bid to continue driving more gender diversity in the local bus industry, New Zealand/Aotearoa’s largest bus operator Kinetic has unveiled the latest round of Women Up Front members.
Before the end of the month, the latest cohort of Kinetic’s Women Up Front – Trainee Bus Driver program will be taking their new skills to the roads of Hamilton, keeping the city moving across a variety of major urban bus routes.
Designed specifically to support and empower women entering the bus driving profession, Women Up Front is not only helping to future-proof the workforce — it’s also driving greater diversity, inclusion, and resilience across the transport sector.
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The latest cohort of trainee drivers comes from a diverse range of backgrounds, but all share previous customer services experience. A key skill for their new role where strong interpersonal skills and a helpful attitude are the hallmark of a great bus driver.
Donnell Shaw is looking forward to a new career in the transport industry.
“I was looking for a new challenge when I saw the Women Up Front advert on Trade Me and thought it might be an exciting career change to make,” she says.
“The training has been insightful, we’ve obviously done a lot of driving, but also learnt de-escalation techniques and brushed up on customer service. The trainers themselves are awesome and it’s a very friendly atmosphere to walk into each morning.
“I’m really looking forward to what the future holds, and I hope to see more women joining the industry because I know they’ve got what it takes. If I can do it, so can you!”
Hamilton operations manager Kellie Martin, who spent her first four years with Kinetic as an urban bus driver, believes representation is the key to recruiting more women into the industry.
“The transport sector is heavily dominated by men which may be one of the reasons women are less likely to consider a career as a bus driver. As we begin to see more female bus drivers on our roads, the likelihood other women will consider the career for themselves continues to grow,” she says.
“It can be a bit daunting getting behind the wheel for the first time, but you can see the trainee’s confidence start to build as we progress through the program, and it only continues to grow as they transition from trainee to fully qualified bus driver.”
As New Zealand moves toward a more connected and sustainable future, public transport will play a crucial role in keeping our communities moving.
Women Up Front provides a comprehensive, fully paid, four-week training program, that enables recruits to upgrade from a full car license to a Class 2 (medium vehicle) with passenger endorsement.
Recruits are offered on-going mentoring and support to help them excel in their new role.
With the addition of the latest cohort of women drivers, the program is continuing to boost female driver representation, driving Kinetic New Zealand closer to its goal of 40 per cent women drivers by 2030.
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