Women graduates rail sector boost - graduate jobs

Network Rail (NR) has launched a new campaign to recruit more women graduates into the rail industry.

The rail company launched its "jobs for the girls" campaign on Thursday to promote applications from women in the sector.

Women form only 12.7% of NR's current workforce and only 2% of those who applied for the firm's apprenticeship scheme – that began in 2005 – were women.

Iain Coucher, NR chief executive, said that women were being prejudiced by "an outdated image of what we do and what we need".

He said: "The image of the railway as an old-fashioned, heavy industry is not the picture of what I see today. I see a modern company, using 21st-century technology needing a highly skilled workforce to maintain and deliver a successful and growing railway. We need more exceptional women to join us at Network Rail.

"I'm sure they are being put off by an outdated image of what we do and what we need.

"All of us; industry, educators and government, must work harder to promote the fantastic career opportunities open to both men and women in the rail industry and engineering as a whole. If not, Britain will miss out on leading the world in this field."