EUROPE: The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility & Transport hosted the Young People & Transport Jobs: Making Transport Careers More Attractive conference which brought together 70 people aged 18 to 30 along with 30 stakeholders from across Europe to explore how to make transport jobs more appealing to young people, more inclusive and more future-oriented.
The conference in Brussels on October 15 was opened by Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General for Mobility & Transport, who emphasised the urgent need to attract talent to the transport sector, which she said lacks visibility and appeal among young people. Participants exchanged practical ideas on how to enhance the image of transport careers, address the ageing workforce and retain young professionals in the sector.
Key challenges identified included work-life balance, limited awareness of career opportunities and salary levels. Participants noted that shift work, irregular hours and a lack of flexibility can discourage young people from pursuing operational roles such as drivers, maintenance engineers or onboard staff. They also highlighted the need for better promotion of career paths in transport, suggesting outreach through job fairs, ambassador programmes, youth networks, school visits and social media campaigns that use accessible and engaging language.
A detailed conference report is to be published by the European Commission.
