New Zealand’s largest bus operator is putting more women in the driver’s seat — and helping power Hamilton’s future public transport workforce.
Kinetic’s Women Up Front training programme is helping to future-proof the workforce while building a more diverse and resilient transport sector, with the latest group of trainees due to take the wheel on major urban routes across the city.
Designed specifically to support and empower women entering the bus driving profession, the four-week programme not only develops technical driving skills but also delivers training in de-escalation and customer service — key attributes for frontline public transport staff.
“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,” trainee Donnell Shaw 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.”
All members of the latest cohort come from customer-facing roles, giving them strong interpersonal foundations as they transition to the transport workforce. The course takes participants from a full car licence to a Class 2 licence with a passenger endorsement, and includes ongoing mentoring and support once qualified.
Hamilton operations manager Kellie Martin, who began her own career with Kinetic as an urban bus driver, says visibility is key to encouraging more women into the sector.
“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.”
Kinetic is aiming to lift female driver representation to 40% by 2030 — and Women Up Front is a central part of that strategy.
The firm is the largest bus operator in the country and employs over 4500 people across its Kinetic Urban, Go Bus, Johnston’s, and SkyBus brands.
