The Go Ahead Group has been named 13th best apprenticeship provider and the top provider of transport apprenticeships in a new ranking by the Department for Education.
The ranking is the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2022, which recognises employers’ “commitment to employing apprentices, their creation of new apprenticeships, the diversity of their new apprentices, and the progression of their apprentices onto further apprenticeships and employment”.
Go-Ahead reveals that it takes on 1,100 apprentices annually, making it the largest employer of apprentices in the public transport industry. Over 700 are training to be London bus drivers at the operator’s academy in Camberwell, while a further 450 are training at Govia Thameslink Railway across a variety of roles. A third of recruits are over 50, while women make up some 17% and 37% of bus and rail apprentices, respectively. Two thirds of apprentices are from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Says Scott Maynard, Group HR Director, The Go-Ahead Group: “Apprenticeships are a great way to begin a career in transport, whether it may be driving a bus, training to be an engineer, working in customer services or driving a train.
“Our apprenticeship program is preparing a new generation of people to operate public transport across Britain and we view it as a crucial investment in the long-term success of our company. We’re very proud that Go-Ahead has been named as one of the country’s top apprenticeship employers.”
Other operators named in the league table include Hays Travel (18th), Stagecoach (36th), and Abellio (48th).
