A Victorian government project has seen a boost in the number of women employed in the freight industry
The Victorian government’s project to fast–track employment in freight and logistics for jobseekers from diverse backgrounds has placed more than 125 candidates in full–time work, including many women taking up careers in the freight sector.
Launched in March 2022, the Freight Industry Training for Jobseekers Project has been successful in filling critical suppy chain job vacancies.
Placing candidates with 70 companies, almost 50 per cent of participants are women in the traditionally male-dominated sector.
“This program set out to place 125 people in full-time employment in critical roles in freight and logistics and I’m delighted to say we’ve met and exceeded that target, which is a fantastic outcome,” Victoria ports and freight minister Melissa Horne says.
“To see more women participating in the freight and logistics industry is yet another shining example of government collaborating with industry to deliver the goods.’’
Successful candidates from the program met with government, industry leaders and freight operators to celebrate the success of the project and reflect on key learnings.
The initiative has been delivered by Freight Victoria in partnership with the Victorian Transport Association (VTA), with Jobs Victoria funding $2.4 million for the project.
The VTA provided freight industry–specific training programs in critical areas such as heavy vehicle driving, forklift driving and warehousing.
“The ability for government and industry to work together is evident in the results of this project,” VTA CEO Peter Anderson says.
“Identifying the real needs and delivering on practical solutions and results has been a highlight for further projects of this nature to be considered.’’
The freight sector contributes $21 billion to the Victorian economy each year and employs more than 260,000 people. Victoria is also home to Australia’s busiest port in the Port of Melbourne.
Women represent just 16 per cent of workers in freight and logistics. The Victorian government hopes that the success in this project will encourage more to consider a career in the industry.
“The freight industry is a growing sector that needs workers, this important project has created training opportunities to address this skills shortage,” Victorian employment minister Vicki Ward says.
“It is fantastic to see so many vacancies being filled by women.”