Keolis Downer is the first official Victorian Public Transport Partner of North Melbourne’s AFLW team and the Freestyle – Women in Trades program.

The program aims to attract, retain, support, and empower young women and trans and gender-diverse people to work in trades.

Keolis Downer will be integrated into initiatives that encourage more women and trans and gender-diverse people to pursue roles in traditionally male-dominated industries, particularly the younger generation of year 7 to 10 students.

As operator of Yarra Trams, Keolis Downer has nearly tripled the number of women tram drivers in recent years and is committed to continuing to increase the representation of women and trans and gender-diverse people across all areas of the business.

The partnership aligns with Keolis Downer’s commitment to gender equality and will help connect young women and trans and gender-diverse people to a leading employer of rolling stock and infrastructure teams, plus tram driving and customer service.

“We are delighted to welcome Keolis Downer on board as a partner of our AFLW team and Freestyle – Women in Trades program,” North Melbourne chief executive officer Jennifer Watt said.

“Keolis Downer, as the operator of Yarra Trams, not only plays an important role in helping our fans get to and from our Melbourne-based games, but also shares our commitment to inclusivity and our communities.”

Keolis Downer is responsible for more than 250 kilometres of double track and a fleet of nearly 500 trams running approximately 33,000 services a week across the city, with Melbourne hosting the world’s largest tram network.

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