The transition to zero-emission technology presents an opportunity for the heavy-duty vehicle sector to diversify and widen its workforce, an independent report commissioned by Volvo has found.
The study engaged participants in focus groups and interviews to identify how under-represented groups perceive the industry and what might dissuade them from pursuing a career in it.
It was the result of research carried out across Scotland and the North of England by DJS Research via funding from Transport Scotland’s Skills Challenge Fund for HDV (heavy-duty vehicle) Decarbonisation.
The report found one major barrier to entry into coach, bus and truck engineering was a generally low awareness of the sector, including the organisations, roles and career pathways involved in zero tailpipe-emission commercial vehicles.
The researchers believe that framing around “future technologies” helped to connect the work with “sustainability, innovation and climate goals”.
Dan Tanner, Service Market Director, Volvo Bus UK and Ireland, says: “For too long, recruitment in our sector has been limited by a lack of diversity in the talent pipeline, making it harder to build teams that reflect the communities our buses serve.
“It’s something we are working on with our colleagues at Volvo Trucks to address across the dealer network, because outdated perceptions risk narrowing the talent pool just when we need a broader mix of skills and perspectives to support growth.”
Stereotypes still dominate the industry, it was found, with participants associating a career in engineering as “being dirty, highly physical and associated with male-dominated workshop environments”.
Among women and ethnic minorities, the participants were driven by seeing someone like themselves succeeding in the sector “through authentic employee storytelling and the types of imagery used in recruitment”.
“Jargon-heavy job descriptions” and “inflated job titles” were also seen to be off-putting to potential applicants.
Mr Tanner adds: “The findings highlight a significant opportunity for our sector: the transition to zero tailpipe‑emission buses and coaches can act as a catalyst to attract a broader, more diverse workforce.
“Across the Volvo Truck and Bus dealer network, we’re well placed to support this shift – but it’s not a challenge any one organisation can solve alone.
“As an industry, we need to create clearer, more visible pathways into the passenger transport sector, backed by communication that helps people from all backgrounds see the role they can play in delivering more sustainable, inclusive public mobility.”
The report Attracting Diverse Talent can be found here.
