The Go-Ahead Group, a leading international public transport provider, has implemented an ambitious target to achieve a 50/50 gender split across all areas of its business by 2035 – from mechanics to marketing managers, drivers to operations directors.
With the sector frequently still thought of as a “man’s world” and dismissed as a place for women to build a career, regional bus operator Go North East has worked with Manchester creative agency Dinosaur to create Inner Qualities, a new campaign calling on women across the North East to rethink a career in the public transport industry.
The campaign and strategy is based on the real insights of women who work at the company and the improvements it is rolling out, showing that there is more to the job than people think, flipping outdated stereotypes on their head and spotlighting the pride, freedom, and camaraderie that come with life behind the wheel.
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Lorraine Petch, a driver at the Sunderland Depot said: “I made the career change to bus driving two years ago and I haven’t looked back. I love to help people and what better way than to get people to where they need to be. Go North East has really supported me in my journey and recently I’ve trained to become a mentor to new drivers joining the business.”
As part of its commitment to make the industry more inclusive for women, Go-Ahead is investing £8m into initiatives such as female mentors and enhanced facilities. Flexible and part-time roles are also a core part of the offer, recognising the importance of work-life balance.
The hero ad bursts to life on an ordinary bus journey, until the voiceover calls out: “Women! It’s time. Join a team that values your inner qualities and puts you in the driving seat!” In a flash, a female passenger is transported from her seat to the driver’s cab, now confidently at the wheel.
The energy builds as we cut to a real Go North East employee leading an engineering class, the voiceover urging: “When others say you can’t, we say you can.” From there, we meet real Go North East employees as mechanics, drivers, and more – each scene flipping expectations and showing the pride, power, and possibilities of a career at Go North East.
Alongside TV, radio and OOH advertising, the campaign will appear on local buses, with strong, visible female role models leading the creative. The work launched this week.
Laura Sharp, head of marketing at Go North East said: “Women are still hugely underrepresented in transport, and that has to change. At Go North East we know this industry offers freedom, progression, and a real sense of pride, but too many women don’t see it as an option. With this campaign we want to challenge stereotypes and show that women can thrive here, not just as drivers, but as mechanics, engineers, leaders and more.”
Shona Needham, client services director at Dinosaur, added: “This campaign is about reframing perceptions and putting women at the heart of the story. The transport industry can offer unexpected empowerment and confidence – but only if women see themselves in those roles. Our job was to make the invisible visible, and to create work that’s impossible to ignore.”
