VOLVO Construction Equipment has formalised Iron Women as a unified global platform to help address a shortage of skilled operators, technicians, and service professionals.
The manufacturer revealed that the initiative is positioned not as a symbolic gesture but as essential business infrastructure designed to expand workforce capacity by attracting and developing long-overlooked talent.
“No skills, no scale. It’s that simple,” said Melker Jernberg, president of Volvo CE. “We can develop the most advanced machines, the smartest products and solutions, and the cleanest technology — but none of it matters if there aren’t enough skilled people to deploy it. Iron Women isn’t about diversity for diversity’s sake. It’s about competence and growth — and the entire industry grows when we unlock capacity together.”
The Iron Women concept was originally introduced by Volvo Trucks in 2016 and has enabled over 700 women across 10 countries to enter professional driving roles. In 2024, Volvo CE adapted the model for construction equipment, launching its first programme in Ukraine to educate women as certified heavy equipment operators. Through partnerships with training provider ETS Group and Swedish non-profit Beredskapslyftet, the scheme is part of a broader initiative aimed to re-skill 1,000 women across industries to support Ukraine’s rebuilding efforts.
In 2025, the programme expanded to India — a high-growth market facing acute skilled labour scarcity. Working with dealer partner Pollutech Engineering, mining customer KCCL, and government infrastructure institute IIIC Kerala, Iron Women offers three specialised tracks: operator certification, worksite technician training, and factory floor technician programmes. The first graduates achieved 100% placement and are now working at customer sites and dealerships. A second cohort of 25 women recently completed operator training and is entering placement.
Volvo CE is now expanding Iron Women from regional pilot programmes into a scalable model.
“The model works,” Jernberg added. “The next step is scaling it — expanding Iron Women to build workforce capacity where it’s needed most, at a pace that matches industry transformation.”
Volvo CE will expand Iron Women into additional regions throughout 2026 and is currently exploring Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
