Jenny Herrod: trading the whisk for the wheel
After thirty years as a pastry chef creating cakes and sweet treats in her own business, Jenny Herrod, made the decision to put down the whisk and get behind the wheel of a bus.
After looking for a career change, Jenny recently joined Transdev, completing the Journey Maker Academy in February.
The Journey Maker Academy is a Transdev initiative which has been developed to help people from outside the transport industry to become a bus driver. The program is particularly targeted at women, young people and those with a strong customer service background.
Running a retail business and having strong customer service skills has equipped Jenny to welcome passengers on board her bus and ensure an exceptional journey.
For Jenny, a mother of two teenage daughters, International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate the achievements of women and a reminder to women to get out there and give things a go.
Jenny’s advice to women considering a career in the transport industry is to “Give it a shot. Don’t listen to people who say you can’t – believe in yourself and have a go.”
Jenny’s most memorable moment at Transdev is getting her heaving vehicle licence. “It’s something I’m pretty proud of. I’ve now got a better licence than my husband!” she exclaims.
When not driving at Transdev, Jenny enjoys hiking and martial arts holding a black belt in Taekwondo.
Transdev has an absolute commitment to gender equality and currently has a number of initiatives in place to support us to create a more inclusive workplace such as:
- Our Journey Maker Academy which is helping us to diversify our workforce with a focus on greater recruitment of female drivers
- Gender neutral paid parental leave
- Paid family violence leave
- Communications campaigns to create a more inclusive workplace
- Employer of Choice Citation for Gender Equality by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency through Transdev Australasia.
This International Women’s Day, we will be celebrating the steps we have collectively taken to create a more equal society, as well as reflecting on how we can continue to work towards equality.