Posted: 24/08/12
All aboard for bus driver apprentices
A Derbyshire transport company is set to employ 50 new bus drivers as part of its on-going expansion.
Heanor-based Your Bus is seeking more drivers as part of plans to add a further 20 buses to its fleet of over 100 vehicles.
It has joined forces with the National Apprenticeship Service, Jobcentre Plus and Vision Apprentices – part of Mansfield-based West Nottinghamshire College – to recruit the new employees, who will start out as apprentices.
A recruitment event at Heanor Town Hall last week (Friday 17 August), held to find the first 20 drivers, saw candidates complete various exercises as part of the next stage of the application process.
The candidates, many of whom are unemployed, also learned more about what the job and apprenticeship programme involves.
Successful applicants will undergo a six-week training programme leading to a PCV (passenger carrying vehicle) licence. They will also combine their on-the-job training with working towards an NVQ Level 2 qualification in driving passenger vehicles which includes customer service, emergency first aid and vehicle maintenance.
A second round of recruitment is set for January 2013, which will see a further 30 trainee drivers appointed by the company, which operates bus routes across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Durham, as well as several National Express contracts.
Stephen Bryce, general manager of Your Bus, said: “We started three years ago with just seven buses and ten drivers and now employ 250 people, managing a fleet of 101 vehicles.
“As we continue to expand, we need more drivers to provide the safe and reliable bus services that our communities depend on. Investing in our workforce by taking on motivated apprentices will hopefully equip us for an even brighter future.”
Roy Pearce, associate director of Vision Apprentices, said: “We’re delighted to be delivering the recruitment and training on behalf of this fast-growing, respected company.
“There’s been a huge level of interest in these vacancies – with more than 190 candidates put forward by Jobcentre Plus – and it’s a fantastic opportunity for local people seeking a rewarding job with high-quality training and real prospects.”
