В Южной Африке прошел форум «Будущее железных дорог — это женщины» для школьниц

Traxtion hosted its third annual The Future of Rail is Woman event at its Rail Services Hub in Rosslyn, bringing together high school learners, women in rail, industry professionals and partners to highlight the opportunities available to young women across South Africa’s rail sector. The initiative aims to make the rail industry more visible and accessible to young women by giving learners practical exposure and connecting them with women working across engineering, manufacturing, operations, logistics, technology and other areas of the rail value chain. Learners from Amandasig Secondary School, Rantailane Secondary School, Boitumelong Secondary School, Alafang Secondary School and Royal Academy of Extra Lessons participated in the programme. A key component was the Rail Fair, where learners applied their STEM knowledge to real-world rail challenges, with Amandasig Secondary School taking the top spot. In the weeks leading up to the event, learners worked alongside mentors from Traxtion, SAFLog, Lucchini South Africa and Pamodzi Unique Engineering, gaining industry insight while developing their ideas. “The Future of Rail is Woman is about making the rail industry more visible and accessible to young women as they begin making decisions about their future careers,” said Nnoni Mohlaphuli, Brand, Communications and Marketing Manager at Traxtion. “It allows learners to engage directly with women already working in the industry, ask questions and gain a better understanding of the many career opportunities available across engineering, logistics, operations, maintenance and technology.” Speaking to learners, Pulane Tshabalala-Kingston, CEO of Voestalpine Railway Systems, emphasised that rail depends on people with a broad range of skills. She encouraged young women not to allow gender perceptions or challenging subjects to limit their ambitions. The message was reinforced by industry representatives from the Railway Safety Regulator, Transnet, PRASA and naamsa, who highlighted the importance of mentorship, professional development and creating meaningful pathways for women entering the sector. For Traxtion, early exposure is an important part of building the future talent pipeline and helping young women understand where they can fit into the industry. “The earlier we can expose young women to the rail industry and connect them with the people already shaping it, the better equipped they will be to make informed decisions about their future. By investing in young women today, we are helping to build the future of rail tomorrow,” said Mohlaphuli.