The Guild of British Coach Operators has lent its weight to coach driver recruitment efforts with a professionally produced short video. It is for use and adaption by Guild members and extols why both existing category D licence holders and those from outside the industry considering a career change should consider joining one of those businesses.
In base form, the clip is 45 seconds in duration and promotes the best practice aspect of Guild membership and how that benefits staff. “The video is designed to assist members in attracting high calibre drivers, matching the quality ethos of the Guild,” says Administrator Steve Whiteway.
He adds that most Guild members now train new coach drivers from car licence standard “and are benefitting from a fresh approach to the industry from those they take on.” Such a position has long been a personal mantra of Mr Whiteway from when he was an operator, he adds.
The Guild’s view is that a ‘churn’ of licence holders among operators “cannot continue.” Mr Whiteway adds that coach driving represents a good career with considerable freedoms. “It is a well-paid profession nowadays, with vehicles that are fantastic to drive. What more can you ask for?”
Several new members have joined the Guild of British Coach Operators since 2023. Mr Whiteway adds that collectively, businesses that are part of the Guild “represent the very best in the UK coach industry and as such seek to attract the highest quality professional drivers, to aid member expansion plans.”
The video promotes the benefits of working with a Guild member to those “seeking a long-term driving career with Britain’s best coach operators,” he continues. The production is enabled for members to make bespoke adaptations to the narration and animation to suit their own driver recruitment campaigns.
Noted in the video is how Guild members provide initial and ongoing training, excellent pay and benefits, and flexible working arrangements.
