26% of people working in the transport sector are women according to figures released by Women in Transport. As International Women’s Day is marked across the globe, four women who currently work at Nottingham Express Transit have shared their stories with the operator’s official website hoping to inspire others to follow their path into the light rail industry.
Maria Kargakou – has been a tram driver with NET for over 20 years having applied for a role when the network first launched, a very different career to the one the qualified beautician thought she would take.
Maria commented: “It was my dream to be a beautician, and I always thought that would be the job for me. Once I finished studying and experienced the full scope of what it involved, I quickly knew this wasn’t the case, and I decided to apply for other work. That’s when I saw the advert for NET.
“It was very out of the blue, but also exciting. In those early days I never thought I would stay as long as I did, but I enjoy it and feel like time flies every day. During the first year or so, I imagine it was probably a shock to see me, a woman, training and then driving a tram. At that time, a lot of the other people who worked there had experience driving trains, whereas I was completely new. It was a challenge at first, and of course there is pressure because you can’t make mistakes, but I’m used to it now.”
Vas Kargakou was encouraged to apply for a role at NET by her sister, Maria, who as we’ve seen has been a driver for 20 years. She was firstly a customer experience agent, which she took after her previous job changed to remote working.
She said: ““It saved me. I loved being outdoors, and working with people was so important for me. It was very rewarding and reassuring, and I had the chance to use my transferrable skills in customer care, gained from my previous job.”
After two and a half years Vas decided to apply to be a tram driver and has now been driving for over a year: “Training was difficult, but I always want to learn more and I’m highly motivated. There is also a stereotype, which added more pressure, but I was determined, and I’m proud of myself for doing it. I felt like I achieved something. I enjoy being a driver and am very confident now – you always have support throughout.
“Over the past couple of years, I’ve noticed more women tram drivers than before, and the company is encouraging more female applicants to come forward. As a woman, it’s important to feel confident that you can take steps to make changes for yourself – any opportunities given by employers should absolutely be taken advantage of.”
Its not just women behind the controls that are being featured either. Mandip Bahra is an Assistant Commercial Director and Sarah Turner is Service Delivery and Safety Director. Both agree that the variety of each day is something they love about working in transport.
Maria has been with NET for 18 years, starting as an administrator, she moved on to be an operations and revenue officer, revenue manager and then her current role. She commented: “I really like to learn things, and I’m not scared to look a bit deeper to learn what’s going on in different areas. The more I started learning and saying to people ‘I can do that for you’, the more opportunities I had.
“It can sometimes be strange if you’re the only woman in a meeting, for example, but if you know what you’re talking about, it doesn’t matter if you’re male or female. It’s important to develop skills to help you get your point across properly.
“It’s powerful to see that some of the management roles here are equal, including our senior leadership – it’s great to see that in a typically ‘male’ industry.”
Sarah Turner has been with NET for only 18 months but has a decade long career within the transport industry. She said: “From the first day I started, I loved it. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes that no two days are the same. It can be difficult, but I thrive on that, and there’s always something new to learn.
“I was exposed to lots of different situations to overcome in my previous role which helped me get ready for this next step. It gave me confidence that I could adapt my experience and bring it into NET.
“Take whatever opportunities that come your way too. Some of the best career choices I’ve made have been outside my comfort zone, and the feeling when I’ve been recognised for my ability to step up to the task helps to grow confidence.
“I’d love to see more women coming through into transport, especially in areas such as engineering, technician and leadership roles – for too long, women have been overlooked for these roles across all sectors, but they can add so much value. The more this happens, the more younger people in the future will see that it’s possible. The starting point though needs to lie in bringing people through the business who are with us already.
“People don’t often realise all the opportunities we have for people. Lots of different experience and skills are transferable, so you can make the move into transport, even if you’ve not worked in it before, or progress in your career if you’ve made the start already.”