Gender balance efforts attract Victorian Government funding

• Kinetic has received funding from the Victorian Government to attract more women to become bus drivers
• The funding will support 150 women to upgrade their car licence and train as professional bus drivers in Melbourne 
• It recognises Kinetic’s early success increasing the number of women in driving roles in the city’s Metropolitan Bus Franchise

Kinetic has secured funding from the Victorian Government to empower 150 more women to join the city’s bus network over the next three years through the Department of Transport and Planning’s (DTP) Women in Transport Strategy.  

The funding will bolster efforts to create more local job opportunities for women through DTP’s Women in Transport Bus Driver Training Program. Kinetic is among several metropolitan operators to receive the funding.

The initiative will finance training and licencing for 50 women per year until 2026, supporting Kinetic to achieve its gender balance target by 2030.

Licensing has historically posed a barrier for women entering the transport industry, alongside challenges such as flexibility, employment security, and lack of consideration of transport careers as an option.

Victorian Minister for Public and Active Transport, Gabrielle Williams, said the program will help remove barriers and encourage more women to embark on a career in transport.

“We are changing the culture in the transport industry and improving access to a better career progression for bus drivers and apprentices,” she said.

As the proud operator of Melbourne’s Metropolitan Bus Franchise (MBF), Kinetic has made significant progress diversifying its workforce through its flagship Women Up Front Trainee Driver program.

Kinetic has more than doubled the number of female bus drivers in its local workforce since 2022, elevating the number of women behind a third of the city’s bus network to almost 11 per cent. 

Through Kinetic’s operations nationally, the Women Up Front initiative attracted more than 130 women to Australia’s transport industry in 2023, with an additional 223 joining the company so far this year. 

The program combines classroom and on-road training to equip candidates with the skills, capability, and confidence to become professional bus drivers, culminating in a nationally accredited Certificate III in Driving Operations (Bus) qualification.

Kinetic Chief Commercial Officer, Mackayla Hanney, welcomed the funding saying it supported efforts to dismantle structural barriers preventing women from pursuing transport careers. 

“We have seen that the cost of upgrading a car licence to a bus licence or doubting they have the skills and confidence to be successful can be reasons why women don’t consider a career as a bus driver,” Ms Hanney said.

“However, over the last four years in Melbourne and throughout Australia we’ve also seen a strong demand for a program designed to remove these barriers and give women the confidence to become a bus driver in a supportive environment.” 

“We’ve also seen the benefits of having a more diverse workforce with broader perspectives reflective of the communities we serve, and we are committed to working in partnership with the Victorian Government to maximise this opportunity we have to make a difference.” 

The Women in Transport Strategy 2021-2024 aims to improve access to employment and career opportunities for women and gender diverse people in the transport sector through bus driving and bus mechanic apprenticeships. 

Kinetic has also participated in DTP’s Women in Transport Mentoring Program which connects women across the transport sector with a mentor or mentee. 

Awarded the Metropolitan Bus Franchise contract by the Victorian Government in 2021, and a Metropolitan Zero-Emissions Bus Franchise in 2024, Kinetic will continue to advance gender equality in Victoria’s transport industry over the next 10 years. 

To learn more about Kinetic’s Women Up Front – Trainee Bus Driver program, visit wearekinetic.com/sustainability/women-up-front. 

To learn more about DTP’s Women in Transport program visit https://www.vic.gov.au/women-transport. 

Further enquiries

Stephanie Makin
Manager - Media & Communications
0438 462 380
stephanie.makin@wearekinetic.com