Trucking group working on retaining, attracting women to the industry
For Brian Oulton, encouraging women to enter the trucking industry on P.E.I. is about more than "filling seats," it's also about getting new perspectives.
On Thursday night in Charlottetown, the council is hosting a dinner and networking and information session to help encourage women to enter the industry. The event will also come up with ideas on recruitment and retaining women already working.
"Companies that have a good mix of men and women definitely look at things differently, and I think that's kind of the solution for us to help improve this industry and to keep recruiting and retaining good people," said Oulton, executive director of the P.E.I. Trucking Sector Council.
One perspective that women bring to the industry is the preference to spend more time at home than be on the road all the time, said Oulton.
"They've kind of pushed for that and I think that's why we're seeing a bit of a change," he said.
Oulton said women already working in the industry are the best people to recruit other women to get involved.
He said that despite efforts over the past five years to get more women working in the industry, women only make up about 6.5 per cent of the Island trucking workforce.
"We'd like to see those numbers grow dramatically," said Oulton.
Anyone wanting more information on the dinner or the industry can email the council at info@peitsc.ca.
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