Leanne leads the way as Kinetic launches First Nations bus driver program in Far North Queensland
When Cairns (Gimuy) mother-of-nine Leanne Barton was looking to return to work in a job that suited her busy family life and satisfied her desire to support the local community, she came across a unique opportunity.
Kinetic was advertising its next intake for the Women Up Front trainee bus driver program – offering women without any prior bus driving experience the opportunity to start a career in transport driving local bus services.
Featuring classroom and on-road training and mentorship, the program offered all the support and training needed to become a licensed and confident bus driver. It also offered competitive pay and family-friendly rosters.
Leanne was the perfect candidate and joined the class in September 2022. She was on the road within weeks and soon obtained the nationally recognised Certificate III qualification in bus driving.
A proud Jingili Mudburra woman, Leanne is now leading the way for a new wave of First Nations bus drivers with the launch of Kinetic’s Moving the Mob initiative.
Moving the Mob is a new First Nations trainee bus driver program introduced to promote greater Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation within Kinetic’s workforce and across the transport industry.
The program encourages First Nations people with a car driver’s licence to become bus drivers and provides flexible paid training in a supportive, culturally safe environment.
It took six months for Kinetic to develop with support from Kinetic’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisor, People & Culture team and consultation with community and employment organisations.
The inaugural program in Cairns was launched with a series of information days held across Kinetic’s depot and recruitment providers in Cairns to maximise the opportunity for people to attend.
The first session attracted 16 applicants with 5 trainees due to commence bus driver training on 19 June and 3 applicants to commence on 12 June in other roles.
Leanne has played an important role in driving the success of the program, sharing her knowledge and experience with candidates and new recruits and providing ongoing mentorship and support.
“Being a bus driver is a way for me to connect with people on a daily basis and provides a working environment that balances with my busy family life raising nine children,” Leanne said.
“I think it’s really important to have more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people driving buses in Cairns and it was great to see how many people came along to the information sessions.”
Kinetic’s Executive General Manager – Queensland, Daniel Head, said it is Kinetic’s ambition to expand this program over time across its operations in Queensland and Australia.
“Increasing First Nations representation across our workforce is a key business priority as we continue our reconciliation journey and look at ways to use our opportunity as a transport operator to drive meaningful and sustainable change,” Mr Head said.
“Over the last two years we have taken deliberate steps to infuse our business with a deeper level of cultural awareness and through listening and actively seeking opportunities to engage and collaborate with Community we are now in a position to look at employment initiatives like this.
“This program has received incredible internal support and I congratulate our local management team in Cairns for showing leadership and commitment to ensuring we approach it in the right way and share our learnings with our colleagues across Australia.”
Kinetic launched its Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan in 2021 and is now developing the next phase of the initiative, Innovate. Reconciliation underpins Kinetic’s core sustainability priorities, which includes a target Indigenous employment rate of four per cent by 2030.
“We want our workforce to reflect the communities in which we live and operate, and this program offers First Nations people the opportunity to strengthen our team and enjoy a new and rewarding career in an exciting industry,” Mr Head said.
“There are so many career pathway opportunities in transport. In addition to professional bus driving, you can also be a cleaner or vehicle detailer, join our customer service teams, and progress through to operations and management positions.”
Kinetic along with recruitment provider Wugu Nyambil will hold the next Moving the Mob information session on 8 June at 1 Noble St, Yarrabah. For more information and to register visit www.wearekinetic.com.au/moving-the-mob.
National Reconciliation Week (May 27 - Jun 3) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
Further enquiries
Steve Cadzow
Manager - Media & Communications (Northern)
0428 127 147
stevec@wearekinetic.com