Sierra had often dreamed of carving out a career in the transportation industry.
While she had researched the requirements for her Class 1 Driver’s licence, the cost prevented her from proceeding.
“I was encouraged to apply with Women Building Futures after hearing about a few people who got their Class 1 licence through the program,” she says.
“Their training was covered, and they were able to get good jobs afterwards.”
Now, Sierra is one of those graduates with a good job. Through her work as a truck driver and now dispatcher at Caron Transportation Systems, a Women Building Futures’ employment partner, she has found secure employment with an employer who supports her professional growth.
Support of a Lifetime
By offering programs and support services, Women Building Futures facilitates underemployed and unemployed women and gender-diverse individuals to train for free and connect to careers that pay above a living wage.
Two of the programs on offer at Women Building Futures, Class 1 Professional Driver and Class 3 Professional Driver, equip women with the skills and licences they need to flourish in roles in the transportation industry.
Women who go through WBF’s Professional Class 1 Driver program are connected to opportunities with values-aligned employers. WBF’s network of industry partners supports program costs, hires our grads, and offers continued training and development once they are on the job.
Powerful Partnerships
One of those partners is Caron Transportation Systems, which offers bulk hauling solutions across Canada and the US.
“We have worked with WBF for many years and were part of developing the Class 1 program originally,” says Leah Mawer, Director of Human Resources at Caron.
“We have several long-term employees who are alumni from the program and have been great ambassadors for other women to join the industry.”
By partnering with WBF, Caron has been able to identify areas where the company can “increase the diversity of its workforce” and make “Class 1 driving more accessible to individuals that may not have felt welcomed historically,” Mawer says.
“These are great well-paying jobs with top-notch companies, and WBF gives individuals that are underemployed and unemployed the ability to provide for themselves and their families with a lot of guidance and support as they learn,” Mawer adds.
Women are provided with the support they need to succeed, from when they first reach out and throughout their careers. In some instances, trainees live in affordable housing on-site in Edmonton or receive additional financial support to cover any fees incurred.
Driving Recruitment Forward
Clearly, recruitment and retention are a wide-scale problem across the transportation industry. According to a recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com/gx/en/transportation-logistics/pdf/pwc-tl-2030-volume-5.pdf), there are more than 20,000 vacant truck driver positions in Canada, and that number could grow to 30,000 if nothing is done.
There are significant benefits to turning to women to plug that gap. According to Trucking HR (https://truckinghr.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/THRC-AB-LMI-Report-FINAL-2023.pdf), only 4% of truck drivers in Canada are women, indicating a severe gender disparity in the profession. As women and gender-diverse individuals are an untapped resource, Women Building Futures works with partners to bring in highly skilled staff.
“When women enter the transportation industry, they’re still highly underrepresented,” says Christie Lavan, Director for External Relations and Growth at Women Building Futures.
“With these vital partnerships with forward-thinking businesses, we can ensure that women can step into these roles in a highly competent way and make sure that both we and our partner are working to support them.
“By helping women carve out resilient careers in the transportation industry, we will make the transportation industry a better industry for everyone.”
Bison Transport, a leading asset-based freight solutions provider, employs Class 1 graduates and is working on a wider scale with Women Building Futures to change the landscape.
“Only 4.3% of Canada’s professional drivers are women, and Bison’s mission is to help change that!” Tracy Clark, Director of Driver Recruitment and Retention at Bison, says.
“In 2024 so far, 6% of all drivers we have onboarded have been women.
“We are pleased to say that two women drivers from the Professional Class 1 Driver program will be starting with Bison this summer!”
Soaring Success
The Profession Class 1 Driver program has been well supported by existing and legacy partners such as Watt and Stewart, Keenan Advantage Group, Magnum, Caron, and Bison.
Women Building Futures is actively inviting more transportation organizations to partner and surround women with the support they need to change their lives.
After its successful partnership, Bison highly encourages organizations looking to diversify their workforce and improve staff recruitment and retention to partner with WBF.
“Women Building Futures truly cares about the success of the women in their program(s) and therefore only partners with reputable businesses,” says Clark.
“If an organization has a commitment to gender inclusion in their workplace and investing in the training, safety, and career progression of the program’s graduates, I encourage them to connect with WBF to learn more.”
And for transportation graduates like Sierra, these partnerships’ pay-off is clear. “Go for it. It will change your life.”
For more information on Women Building Futures, visit www.womenbuildingfutures.ca. Are you interested in becoming an employer partner and getting more women into
the driver’s seat? Learn about ways to support our mission at https://womenbuildingfutures.ca/about/ways-to-support, or contact Bao Ho, Senior Manager for Workforce Partnerships, at bho@womenbuildingfutures.com.
To learn more about WBF’s Employers of Choice program and to become a member, visit www.wbfeoc.com.
