Metro Trains Melbourne is only one of 260 businesses globally that have received an endorsement to join Work180’s platform, which highlights the work done to support and empower women.
Work180 is a global jobs network that provides women with an easy way of identifying workplaces they can trust, reaching nine million women worldwide.
Employers looking to be endorsed by Work180 are screened against a set of 20 criteria to demonstrate that the organisation is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Some of the criteria includes being transparent with benefits, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and constantly striving for continuous improvement. The organisation must also offer paid parental leave in addition to government-funded leave, and be open to discussing flexible working arrangements at interview stage.
In the past 10 years, Metro has more than doubled its number of female employees. In 2009, there were 26 female train drivers working for Metro Trains – and in 2022 there are more than 345.
As part of Metro’s endorsement, roles that Metro recruit for will be posted on the Work180 platform, boosting its reach to prospective women seeking employment. Metro will also be able to showcase the Work180 badge on its online platforms to promote its accreditation to prospective employees.
Metro Trains Program Manager Teeshal Bal said with more than 20 years’ experience across the mining and construction sectors, she had never worked for a better company since joining Metro six years ago.
“Metro has ‘walked the talk’ by consistently providing me with opportunities to step up and demonstrating from the top down that women and people from diverse backgrounds are valued and supported,” she said.
Metro Trains Passenger Experience and Disruptions Manager Erin McKenna said being an advocate for gender diversity involves much more than just filling a quota for hiring women.
“Metro supports its employees in their professional development by providing access to coaching programs, leadership development programs, and mentoring programs,” she said.