THE FIRST GRADUATE of a scheme designed to boost the
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number of women entering Scotland's haulage industry has collected her HGV licence.
Brenda Anderson became the first student to complete the new programme,Women into Logistics, following its October launch.
Women across the Fife, Grampian and Tayside regions of Scotland are being targeted for the scheme, which is being run by Instep Initiatives, the training arm of the Dundee and Tayside Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Douglas Pond,general manager of Instep Commercial. says the plan is to provide a supportive training environment for women, who currently account for only 9% of the workforce.
"It's going really well at the moment and we've had a lot of interest," he adds. "In our experi ence, women drivers are reliable and are good time-keepers."
He hopes to train 180 people in the region, about 80% of whom will be female. The course includes practical HGV training as well as wider issues such as an introduction to the industry.
Mark Ridgway, business development director at Dundee-based haulier PS Ridgway, says his company is keen to employ graduates from the scheme: -The course fills a need I think some women can feel intimidated training with men and this is an industry women often don't consider going into."
The course has 30 candidates currently registered, with a further 70 applications pending.