First Bus aims to double number of women in business by 2028

Bristol bus operator, First Bus, has announced a raft of ambitious changes in the hopes of doubling the number of women in its business in the next five years.

The pledge comes after the first women stepped behind the wheel of Bristol’s buses in 1944, with a new design celebrating women at First Bus due to be plastered across a bus in April.

Currently, women make up 12 per cent of the workforce at First Bus, but the operator hopes to increase this to 20 per cent by 2028. According to national figures, while more than half of bus passengers are women, only about ten per cent of people in the industry are female.

A recent study found that while women make up 47 per cent of the UK workforce, only 20 per cent of workers in transport are women.

First is pledging three ambitious new recruitment tactics to boost the number of women in the workplace: All senior candidates will face a balanced panel of female and male interviewers at their first interview (wherever possible).

Shortlists for senior roles will include an equal number of male and female candidates, and every female applying to become a driver or engineer will be guaranteed an interview (provided they meet the pre-interview criteria).

The company also aims to have 40 per cent senior leadership roles filled by women by 2028.

The announcement follows the success of a previous five-year campaign where the operator was able to double the number of women in the business.

Speaking about the plans, Janette Bell, managing director at First Bus, said: “We want First Bus to be a place where our people feel welcome, can be their true selves and succeed.

“I’m proud of the work we’re doing and proud of the women who work alongside me in all areas of the business. We recognise that there is still more to do, and this is a challenge that we are not afraid to address.”

The winning design, by illustration student Rosalyn Burroughs, will wrap around the cover of a double decker bus – image: First Bus

The operator also announced the winner of its competition to mark 80 years since the first female drivers in Bristol.

The winning design, by 21-year-old UWE Bristol design and illustration student Rosalyn Burroughs, will wrap around the cover of a double decker bus.

Rosalyn’s design tells the story of the key moments of women behind the wheel in Bristol and across the UK.

Doug Claringbold, the managing director for First West of England, said he hoped the pledge would inspire the next generation of female colleagues to achieve their goals.

“An industry like the transport sector is heavily dominated by men, so we owe a lot to those women, who 80 years ago, got behind the wheel and transformed our public transport workforce in the West Country.

“The ambition to create greater gender equality continues today and is essential for any business to succeed and achieve its goals,” he added.

Main photo: First Bus

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