In a drive to empower women in the transport industry to maximise their potential, Transport for Wales (TfW) has launched a new Welsh Hub in partnership with Women in Transport.

According to recent figures. There is a significant gender gap in the transport sector, with only 20% of the workforce in the transport and communications industries in Wales being women.

The new hub will look at how Transport for Wales can further support its current female workforce, and what the company can do to encourage more women to join the industry by removing social barriers.

As part of the hub’s launch, Welsh Government has funded research by the Welsh gender equality charity “Chwarae Teg” to map out where women are working in the transport sector in Wales and to relate their experiences.

Chwarae Teg’s research shows that in the occupational groups traditionally associated with men, there is a significant under-representation of women, particularly among engineers, vehicle maintenance, and drivers. The new hub will enable the partnership to use the data to further their work in implementing a positive change in the transport industry across Wales.

The Minister for Climate Change, Julie James said: “There is a high demand for people to work in the transport and logistics sector. On average around 4,500 job vacancies in transport and logistics are posted online each month in Wales. It is therefore remarkable that women only make up 20% of the workforce. That is why I am pleased we have been able to sponsor this piece of work which looks at the barriers and challenges facing women entering the workforce and how they can be overcome.”

Jo Foxall, Customer Engagement Director at Transport for Wales and Wales Lead for Women in Transport added: “It’s been great to launch the Wales Hub for Women in Transport and to see so many people attend and support the event.

“At Transport for Wales, we’re building an inclusive and diverse workforce and we recognise that our public transport network needs to cater for the diverse public and be inclusive for all.

“I’ve worked in the transport sector for 18 years and I’m extremely passionate about encouraging more women to take up roles within the transport sector in both traditionally male front-line roles as well as more leadership and decision-making positions.”