Stagecoach celebrates its female engineers on International Women in Engineering Day

As the world marks International Women in Engineering Day today (23 June), Stagecoach has proudly highlighted the increasing number of female engineers joining its business, but has urged that more needs to be done to encourage more female engineers across the country.

Female engineering apprentices have recently joined to support Stagecoach’s bus operations in South Wales, East Scotland, Merseyside, East Midlands and in the west of the country. They join over 1,000 apprentices across the country being trained in a variety of roles from driving and engineering to human resources and learning and development apprentice qualifications. This marks the highest number of apprentices ever employed by Stagecoach, which operates over 8,300 buses and coaches across the country.

Stagecoach has been offering engineering apprenticeships for over twenty years, and it also offers a ‘trade-up’ scheme, giving existing employees the opportunity to undertake and apprenticeship with the engineering team.

Taliah Cox is currently an engineering apprentice in Kettering. Before she joined Stagecoach, she was studying childcare at college but realised it wasn’t for her. She said: “I love the satisfaction of having a big job finished and then a running bus. I’ve even managed to take an engine out of a bus and put a different one back in and have it running again. I’m really proud to be part of the engineering team and I wanted to show that engineering is a place for women too!”

Danieka Stanley, is Engineering Manager in Torbay, and is the first engineering manager in Stagecoach’s south west operation. She joined Stagecoach South West in May 2021, relocating to Exeter from Stagecoach London, where she’d spent a decade of her career. Danieka was appointed as Engineering Manager for Torbay in February 2022 and the move saw her take over responsibility for a team of 25 engineering colleagues, including 11 engineers, 14 cleaners and shunters who maintain a fleet of over 92 buses based at Torquay depot and outstations in Newton Abbot and Paignton.

Danieka said: “I’m very proud to be the first female engineering manager in the south west. Stagecoach has done great work in encouraging more female employees into our business. It’s great to challenge the idea that the engineering industry is male dominated, and to set an example to girls across the country who may be considering this fantastic job for their future career.”

Molly Stevenson is the first female engineering apprentice to join Stagecoach’s engineering team in Fife, and recently featured in Stagecoach’s programme produced in partnership with ITN Business to mark the Queen’s Jubilee. She said: “After working in offices for a few years, I decided that it was about time I got a job that was closely related to my hobbies, something hands on but where you’re also using your brain all the time. It’s really hard physical work, you’re on your toes all day, every day is different, but Stagecoach is one of the best companies to work for.”

Janine Summers, Regional Director North for Stagecoach, will be donning overalls and joining the engineering team in Stockport for the day to mark International Women in Engineering Day. Along with Sharon Vye-Parminter, Health, Safety and Environment Director, she co-chairs the Women@Stagecoach employee network.

Janine said: “We’re pleased to be marking International Women in Engineering Day today. This is something that is really close to my heart, and we were really pleased to welcome our highest number of female engineers at our last apprenticeship intake.

“However, there is still a lot of work to be done in encouraging more females to join our business across all roles, and in engineering roles across UK industry where national statistics show that only 11% of engineers are female.

“As well as encouraging more females to join us, we’re also working on a number of initiatives internally to help ensure our female engineers feel supported, such as engineering-specific networking events and promoting opportunities available internally through our trade-up scheme.”

For more information about a career with Stagecoach, visit https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/national/careers

ENDS