Alexander Dennis supported the testing week with the provision of a next-generation Enviro100EV electric bus, with its AD24 Training Academy team setting two challenges on and off the innovative vehicle which is set to become a popular sight throughout the country as operators add the “big small bus” to their fleets.
Laura Tofts, who is the Head of Product Information and Training for Alexander Dennis, led three expert trainers at the event. She explains what drives the company’s support for the competition: “The bus and coach industry relies on the fantastic skills of its technicians and at Alexander Dennis, nurturing and developing these skills in person is even more important than the financial support we give to the IRTE Skills Challenge. That is why in addition to our presence during the testing week, we invested many hours of preparation to develop meaningful tasks and ensure we would be able to score them consistently.”
The challenges set by the manufacturer during the IRTE Skills Challenge focused on door systems and reflected how mechanical issues are increasingly becoming intertwined with electrical components, such as pneumatic pumps now being electrically controlled.
This is also reflected in the courses offered by the AD24 Training Academy. Training on electrical systems is now offered at four levels, ranging from the hugely popular Introduction to Electrical Systems that provides a first step into low-voltage environments to Advanced Electrical Systems at the other end of the scale, which upskills even the most experienced technicians to offer continued development. These AD24 Training Academy courses are not specific to Alexander Dennis vehicles, aimed instead at skilling up people for the wider industry with a mix of classroom learning and hands-on training on test rigs and vehicles.
Laura explains: “We want to arm people with the knowledge to go in and diagnose more challenging faults as vehicle systems get more complex and more electrically based. The IRTE Skills Challenge always gives us a great platform to do this outside of our own courses and the experience informs how we develop our courses further.
“The quality of this year’s delegates was again very high, and this is reflected in the prizes awarded – congratulations to everyone on their highly deserved recognition! It has been great to meet and interact with so many people that are coming into the industry and to celebrate their work.”
The AD24 Training Academy will continue to develop its offering for the bus industry. Its courses remain extremely popular and are often fully booked long in advance. Alexander Dennis is preparing to meet this rising demand with additional training staff and facilities due to be added in the coming months.
