A TRAIN operator has hailed a recruitment drive which has seen a number of women start as trainee drivers.
A third of Avanti West Coast’s new intake are female, putting it well on the way to reaching a target of 50% of by 2030.
More than 1,000 women applied for the role in the latest recruitment round.
Jo MacPhail, people director at Avanti West Coast, said:
“We wanted to start a movement towards having equality across our new train driver recruits and we are really pleased that we achieved what we set out to do and more.
“We’re on track to hit our target of 50% female trainee driver recruits by 2030 and we are really proud and overjoyed that this campaign played a huge part.”
What nonsense! Just like what has happened in the police, the fire service and armed forces ( and where I work) this will end up being a disaster and an ill thought out mess. The best candidate with the right attitude and/ or experience should always get the job regardless of gender or race. In the particular case of this train company I should imagine that male candidates who have got the right attributes will be ignored for the positions by the box ticking brigade if the quota of females haven’t been met.
Contrary to Scotto’s opinion, what will actually happen is that well-qualified women will be considered who might otherwise have been overlooked in favour of some less-capable men. Well-qualified men will still be employed and the overall standard of trainee drivers will rise.