XPO launches academy to attract more women to the industry

XPO has created a new Female Driver Academy to help attract more women into the industry.

The female drivers who join the Academy will undertake a 12 to 16-week programme using the XPO Logistics internal driver training team to develop and sharpen their skills. The goal is to create a corps of highly skilled and professional female drivers who are intimately familiar with the company’s customers and products.

The first candidate assessment days were held at the beginning of May. Lynn Brown, vice president, human resources—UK and Ireland, XPO Logistics, said: “We will be employing the candidates from day one so they can earn a living while training to become a vital part of our team. Our customer, Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland, has backed the initiative by offering roles in their British Gypsum and PAM operations. Our trainer will buddy our candidates, ensuring they can learn from someone who has first-hand experience of what they are going through and can provide the best possible support.” The first Female Driver Academy candidates are expected to start driving HGVs full-time for XPO by August this year.

Three of the initial candidates coming through the Female Academy are thrilled by the support offered by XPO and are excited to begin what is, for some, a “dream career.”

The XPO Female Driver Academy is part of the company’s Driver Excellence Academy, which was established to help people from all backgrounds who wish to train as an HGV driver. The only requirement is that participants must be aged 18 to drive an HGV. Each Driver Excellence Academy trainee works towards receiving the relevant qualification for the type of vehicle they want to drive. For example, a Cat B car licence can be upskilled to a Cat Class C (Rigid) or Cat CE (Artic). It is possible to go straight from a Cat B to a Cat CE licence.