Bus & Coach Apprentices Boosting Public Transport Network in Greater Manchester

Leading Northwest Apprenticeship Provider Total People celebrates Commercial Vehicle Hub two-year anniversary – supporting the Greater Manchester transport network with newly qualified bus & coach engineers.

Over 100 newly qualified bus and coach apprentices have completed their apprenticeship with Total People at the Commercial Vehicle Hub since it opened in 2021 and are now skilled in keeping the Northwest public bus & coach network infrastructure on the road, working with over 15 local bus & coach businesses.

The new Commercial Vehicle HUB was officially opened by former racing driver and TV favourite Vicki Butler-Hendersonwith a £750K investment in May 2021, supported by the parent Company, LTE Group.

The dedicated training facility – located at The Manchester College Wythenshawe Campus – was redesigned to meet the specific needs of the HGV curriculum. The investment included:

• the installation of large roller shutter doors to accommodate large HGV vehicles
• a brand-new mezzanine area for classroom based learning
• new mechanical and electrical services installations which provide specialist ventilation, lighting, power and data.

In addition,  engineering apprentices can refine their industry-standard engineering skills with practical learning sessions on buses and coaches on-site in the workshop – enabling them to complete their apprenticeship with industry-standard skills that complement their employment.

With over 720 practical hours spent in the workshop boosting their practical skillset and learning how to identify issues and service and repair vehicles, they are now fully skilled and able to keep vehicles safe on the road.

The redevelopment formed part of the LTE Group’s £140m Estates Strategy, which is transforming the city’s education provision. The strategy included the building of a brand-new Manchester city centre campus for Total People’s further education partner, The Manchester College, and higher education provider, UCEN Manchester which opened in September 2022.

Mel Nicholson, Managing Director at Total People comments:

“With Industry standard facilities, and a high pass rate for our Engineering, Bus & Coach Apprentices, we can confidently say that this facility is delivering what it set out to achieve – skilled workers who can support the transport infrastructure across Greater Manchester.

“It’s fantastic to see so many eager learners come to the Commercial Vehicle Hub at Wythenshawe, and to support local businesses who need skilled workers. We are looking forward to expanding the facility to support the next generation of electric and green vehicle technologies.”

Level 3 apprentice Alfie Blundell sums up his learning journey:

“I’ve gained lots of new skills academically, physically, practically doing the job and my social skills have improved. I’ve really benefited from the academic aspect of learning how different things work because the way that Total People do it is completely different to how you would learn in a garage. You get to strip equipment down and learn practically on the job.  Just go for it – it’s brilliant.”