Arriva North East has created 15 apprenticeship posts at its Sunderland depot, in partnership with Gateshead College.
Last year the company started a training programme with the college that was tailored specifically to its needs, including additional coach-building, body repair, electrical and mechanical engineering skills. The firm says the apprentices hired last year helped to boost its revenue for 2016.
The scheme has now been extended another year, with 15 new apprentices to be recruited. They will work towards level two and level three qualifications while learning valuable practical skills on the four-year programme.
Steve Rowell, Engineering Director for Arriva North East and Yorkshire, says: “Apprenticeships are hugely beneficial to Arriva and since we started working with the college we’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.”
