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Apprentices keep Sunderland bus firm in the fast lane

apprentice Brice Hall at work, Colin Close of Arriva and Leanne Marston of Gateshead College

A North East transport operator is creating a raft of apprenticeship posts after extending a trailblazing workforce development scheme delivered by Gateshead College.

Last year Sunderland-based Arriva teamed up with the college to kick-start a training programme specifically tailored to the bus firmā€™s business needs, which included a requirement for additional coach-building, body repair, electrical and mechanical engineering skills. 

An initial tranche of apprentices was hired to fill the gap and their work across Arrivaā€™s North East sites helped the transport firm boost revenues in 2016.

However, with extra skills in these core discipline still required, the company has extended the scheme into a second year and has created roles for around 15 new apprentices who will work towards level two and level three qualifications while learning valuable practical skills on the four-year programme. If they impress, they have a chance of being taken on full-time at Arriva after they have completed the apprenticeship. 

Steve Rowell, engineering director for the North East and Yorkshire at Arriva, said: ā€œThis fantastic partnership with Gateshead College puts apprenticeships at the heart of our skills development programme. I started my apprenticeship in 1992 so I know how valuable they can be in helping people to forge a successful career within their chosen discipline.

ā€œApprenticeships are also hugely beneficial to Arriva and since we started working with the college weā€™ve managed to plug skills gaps in certain areas. As older members of our workforce retire, we want to ensure we have a work-ready pipeline of engineering expertise to replace them.ā€

Arriva now has around 200 engineering staff in the North East and Yorkshire. A major provider of bus services around the North East of England, the company operates around 794 buses and runs regular services as far north as Berwick-upon-Tweed and south into North Yorkshire.

Ivan Jepson, director of business development at Gateshead College, said: ā€œThis is another great example of how we work with employers to deliver the qualifications and training they need. We share Arrivaā€™s commitment to apprenticeships and weā€™re working with the company to ensure it has the skills to be successful in a highly competitive marketplace.

ā€œOn a wider basis, our training programmes are helping to drive growth in key sectors across the North East and this can only be good for the regional economy.ā€


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