Women on track

Kick-start your career

About Women on Track

Women on Track is a paid traineeship dedicated to placing women from Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs who are looking to kick-start their careers in the rail industry.

The program combines paid structured learning with practical on-the-job experience by having a key role on exciting rollingstock projects located at either Downer’s Newport or East Preston Depots. 

The 2023 intake is now open! Apply here today . 

Downer’s exciting projects

Participants of Women on Track will work across two exciting projects, rotating on the world’s largest tram refurbishment project and Melbourne’s bigger, better trains.

Tram Refurbishment Project

To ensure a reliable and comfortable journey for the 200 million passengers who travel by tram every year, Downer’s East Preston site is refurbishing approximately 85 per cent of Melbourne’s iconic tram fleet. With 450 trams being refurbished, it is the largest tram overhaul project in the world.

The project delivers life extensions, refurbishments, deep cleans and overhauls of six different classes of trams, some of which are 50 years old.

Melbourne’s bigger, better trains

Downer, as part of the Evolution Rail Consortium, is delivering the High Capacity Metro Trains Project for the Victorian Government.

The project includes manufacture of 70 trains, construction of the state-of-the-art maintenance depot; a light service facility; two train simulators; and maintenance of the trains for over 30 years.

The HCMTs are the first new train design in Victoria for nearly 20 years and demonstrate a step change in public transport. They are the most accessible trains on Melbourne’s network and offer 20% more capacity than the current fleet. They also provide high capacity signaling which helps the Melbourne network provide a turn up and go service.

What Women on Track Offers

• 12 month traineeship program combining tailored and paid learning
• Certificate II in Electrotechnology
• Gain hands-on project experience at the East Preston and Newport Depots.
• Exposure to rollingstock manufacturing, product testing and maintenance.
• Mentorship from the Victorian Rail Advocate who is a key partner of the program.
• Bridging program to learn literacy, numeracy and computer skills
• Opportunity to continue with an apprenticeship at Downer at the end of the program.
• Be apart of an Award winning program. Women on Track was Highly Commended in the 2022 Australasian Rail Industry Awards for its contribution to Diversity and Inclusion.

Become industry ready

Women on Track participants will be provided with the necessary licenses and qualifications to complete ongoing work in the rail industry at the end of the Women on Track Program including:

• Level 2 First Aid.
• CPR.
• Construction Induction Card.
• Low Voltage Rescue.
• Rail Industry Worker Card.
• Certificate II in Electrotechnology UEE22011, provided by Holmesglen, one of Victoria’s leading TAFEs.
• The Bridging Program will focus on literacy, numeracy and computer skills. 

Apply today!

Applications for our 2023 intake are now open. Click here to apply today.