The value of apprenticeships and recruitment from under-represented groups to solving driver shortages in both the coach and bus sectors must not be underestimated, delegates at the recent Confederation of Passenger Transport UK Bus and Coach Conference heard.
Some operators are seeing the crisis of 2022 abate, but the industry cannot afford to take its foot off the driver recruitment pedal, Go-Ahead Group Managing Director, Regional Bus, Martin Dean told the gathering. He notes that there can be no room for complacency and that “there is still a way to go” before driver resource is on a fully even keel.
Poor representation of women in sector ‘is alarming’
National Express West Midlands (NXWM) Sales and Partnerships Director Daljit Kalirai notes that statistics about women’s representation in transport jobs are “alarming.” She adds that only 20% of those positions are filled by women, which compares poorly to their 50% share of the overall workforce.
“It is a problem from bottom to top,” Ms Kalirai continues. She argues that if an operator does not have a diverse workforce now, it will struggle to attract more diversity in the future. However, difficulties in this area may be down to an image problem for the sector, she continues.
“60% of our customers are women, but they see how bus drivers can be treated. That is off-putting.
“Society has an antisocial behaviour problem, so [work] is also needed outside the industry.”
That aside, the job of a coach or bus driver has changed in recent years with increased vehicle technology. How the sector projects the driver’s role is a big question, Ms Kalirai observes.
In an indication that driver shortages are still hampering the industry’s full recovery, Mr Dean notes that Go-Ahead’s regional operations would run more mileage if they had more drivers. Although the situation has improved in that respect, there are still hot spots of difficulty. That is particularly the case where airports are nearby and recruiting strongly.
Fresh approach to coach driver recruitment for Barnes
On the coach side of the industry, Barnes Coaches Director Matt Barnes says that the Swindon firm began some years ago to look at driving apprenticeships to attract more staff, but that it was a difficult process to find an educational establishment to act as a partner.
Now Barnes’ apprenticeship scheme – which is of a one-year duration – is running well and attracting a regular flow of new drivers. Mr Barnes notes that while the act of piloting a large vehicle is an important part of training, other aspects of being a coach driver must be demonstrated to recruits. Customer service, early starts and late finishes are among those, he explains.
Another aspect of employment that has become increasingly relevant is part-time hours.
Barnes has recruited drivers who wish to work two or three days per week. Its general driver to vehicle ratio is 1.5:1. Mr Barnes notes that while coach operators have long been good at “dovetailing” jobs to occupy a coach, it must now look to do the same with drivers.
Driver apprenticeships ‘really do work’ for industry
Mr Dean points to Go-Ahead London’s work on apprentices as a good barometer of how such schemes can deliver for bus operators. Go-Ahead London plans to hire 700 apprentice drivers in 2023 and it already has experience in that avenue of recruitment, Mr Dean continues.
“It really does work,” he explains. Go-Ahead finds that driver retention issues largely occur in the first year of service. The London business has stemmed that via its apprenticeship route. Mr Dean credits an intensive training regime that sees the operator keep more contact with apprentice drivers during that period as one reason why.
On retention in the coach sector, Mr Barnes returns to his point about flexibility. Appraisals every six months allow the operator to ensure that staff are happy with their work pattern.
