The Women Up Front pioneers now driving Kinetic’s Gold Coast network
After coming together two years ago to participate in Kinetic’s first Women Up Front trainee bus driver program, our inaugural candidates are now taking control of the network and playing a key role keeping the Gold Coast connected.
Bernadette Douglas, Jasmine Kowal and Desiraye Hau (seen from left to right in the photo above) were among the first cohort of trainees who participated in a successful Women Up Front pilot on the Gold Coast in 2021. Now they’re familiar faces across the network as they continue their career at Kinetic.
The program aims to attract more women into the bus industry by empowering people with the right attitude and community focus to get fully licensed and confident behind the wheel.
It includes a three-week induction, access to mentors, licensing courses, and a nationally recognised twelve-month training qualification.
The pioneering trio were the perfect candidates, coming from diverse professional backgrounds – with people skills and experience across the fields of accounting (Bernadette), hospitality management (Desiraye) and construction (Jasmine) and a common desire to serve the community.
Meet the pioneers
Our first Women Up Front original, Desiraye, previously managed event catering at major stadiums on the Gold Coast where she met many stars including Jason Mamoa and the All Blacks rugby team.
After completing her training, an early highlight for Des was being able to drive her own child’s school bus – a memory she says she’ll cherish forever.
Des has now progressed into an operations role, working as a Network Controller in the 24/7 Operations Control Centre (OCC) in Molendinar.
Working at the heart of Kinetic’s Gold Coast operation, Des is responsible for monitoring all on-road activities and engaging with drivers to keep the network moving.
“I love taking on new challenges – that’s what attracted me to Women Up Front in the first place – so getting to support operations across the Gold Coast in the OCC has been wonderful,” Des says.
“It’s amazing to think that two years ago I’d never driven a bus before and now I’m in control of the network. Jumping on the radio every day and helping our drivers keep the Gold Coast connected is a special feeling.”
Following the completion of her licence upgrade, Bernadette commenced as a school bus driver and then progressed to route services.
She then took up a role as a driver trainer – helping mentor other Women Up Front candidates – before transitioning into her current role as an Operations Controller at our Coomera depot in the city’s north.
“The support I’ve received since joining Kinetic has been incredible and I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to work in the training and operations teams,” Bernadette said.
“You get to meet so many amazing people in this role and I love the challenge of working in such a fast-paced environment where no two days are the same.”
Our final original, Jasmine, is a driver at our Molendinar depot who was previously a manager in the construction industry.
Jasmine was attracted to the program because she wanted to learn a new skill that would allow her to travel and work anywhere in Australia.
As someone with a strong passion for volunteering, Jasmine also saw an alignment between bus driving and serving others.
“I’ve volunteered a lot throughout my life and being a bus driver is another way I can give back to the local community,” Jasmine says.
“There’s nothing better than getting behind the wheel, meeting new people, and helping passengers get to where they need to go safely.”
Women Up Front goes from strength to strength
As Bernadette, Desiraye, and Jasmine continue to thrive in the bus lane, momentum is building for Women up Front across Kinetic.
From the initial pilot on the Gold Coast in 2021, the program has now been adopted across Kinetic’s Australian operations as a key initiative supporting Kinetic’s goal to achieve 50 per cent female drivers by 2030.
Kinetic still has a long journey ahead with women currently reflecting 16 per cent of the company’s workforce in Australia. However, Women up Front has helped to welcome 100 women to the business this year including 12 candidates in the inaugural program in Tasmania.
Kinetic Head of People & Culture Adrianna Quinn said the success of Women Up Front is helping to transform gender balance at Kinetic and across the wider transport sector.
“At Kinetic, we want our workforce to match the diversity of the communities we serve and Women Up Front is a key initiative helping us shift gender inequality and increase female participation in the industry,” Ms Quinn said.
“This year alone, more than 100 women have completed car-to-bus licence upgrades through Kinetic and I’m excited to see these numbers keep rising as the program continues to grow.”
Those interested in joining Women Up Front or finding out more about the program can do so at www.wearekinetic.com/women-up-front.
Further enquiries
Steve Cadzow
Manager - Media & Communications (Northern)
0428 127 147
stevec@wearekinetic.com