WEST Midlands Railway has launched a campaign for gender diversity in engineering with a new apprenticeship programme.
In a bid to address gender disparity in the engineering sector, West Midlands Railway (WMR) has announced its latest programme aimed at recruiting more female engineers.
Just 16.5 per cent of the UK’s engineering workforce are women.
The company is currently seeking aspiring engineers to join its Engineering Technician Apprenticeship program for the year 2024.
Encouraging women with a passion for creativity, curiosity, and collaboration to step forward, WMR aims to level the playing field in both the engineering and rail sectors.
Despite boasting a female workforce percentage above the national average, with 30 per cent of all recruits in the past year being female, West Midlands Trains, the operator of WMR and London Northwestern Railway, is committed to further enhancing gender diversity within its ranks to tackle the industry-wide issue.
Avril Shields, an apprentice technician at West Midlands Trains, shared her positive experience as a woman in the rail engineering field, highlighting the supportive environment and ample opportunities for growth within the company.
“For those thinking or even contemplating applying, I couldn’t urge you more to go for it.
“Since joining the team I’ve been able to take family members to cities they haven’t been to before – it’s really opened the country for me.”
Fellow apprentice technician Rio Pearce said she liked the vast career opportunities and hands-on experiences offered by the apprenticeship programme.
The Engineering Technician Apprenticeship programme offers candidates the chance to work alongside award-winning technicians and engineers, earning two industry qualifications.
