Bus technicians from National Express West Midlands have won top trophies at this year’s Society of Operations Engineers national awards.
Engineering Training Manager Lee Sandford, from Kings Norton, won the prestigious Philip Margrave Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement. This award is presented to the person who has contributed most to the promotion and development of apprentices.
Lee has completely changed National Express West Midlands’ approach to apprenticeships. He has focussed on identifying talent among existing employees – cleaners, ancillaries, mechanical support – rather than searching externally. By giving existing staff the opportunity to apply for apprenticeships first, Lee has achieved a conversion rate of 80%.
Luke Mullally, from Bromsgrove won the Electric Driveline Technician Award. Lewis Morley, from Rushall, was runner-up in the Bodywork Technician Award, and Brian Whetton, from Stechford, was runner-up in the Mechanical Technician Award.
