MORE JOBS FOR THE GIRLS, SAYS RAIL CHIEF

26 January 2010

Network Rail has launches a campaign to attract more talented women to the company, further improving the overall skills of the workforce and addressing the poor male/female balance. It will begin by aiming to attract more women to its award winning apprenticeship scheme, which since its inception in 2005 has received only around 2% of applications from women.

Dyan Crowther, Network Rail route director said: "The image of the railway as an old-fashioned, heavy industry is not the picture of what I see today. I see a modern company, using 21st century technology needing a highly skilled workforce to maintain and deliver a successful and growing railway. We need more exceptional women to join us at Network Rail. I'm sure that they are being put off by an outdated image of what we do and what we need. This is a scandalous waste.

"All of us; industry, educators and government, must work harder to promote the fantastic career opportunities open to both men and women in the rail industry and engineering as a whole. If not, Britain will miss out on leading the world in this field."

In a recent GlideInsight survey for Network Rail, when asked who a career in railway engineering best suited, 47% of those polled said mainly or only men. When asked if enough was done in schools to promote a career to women in this area, 45% said unequivocally no, with nearly half agreeing that not enough is done.