HCT Group has announced the pilot project called Drive On, which trains ex-offenders as London red bus drivers.
After their training, participants then take part in the standard induction and review period. At the end of their three-month review period, they are conï¬rmed in post with HCT Group as London red bus drivers.
Drive On is a partnership between HCT Group and Blue Sky, part of The Forward Trust has been running over the past six months.
Blue Sky recruits and selects the participants, ensuring that they are appropriate for the programme, and avoid certain offences that might hamper public confidence.
“The pilot has been a great success, proving that the concept works, says Lawrence Wilson, HCT Group Director for London. “All the way through the programme – from initial training to active employment – the attitude and attendance of the cohort has been very good, indistinguishable from an intake of non-offender trainees.
“The same can be said for their level of customer service and driving quality, which has been directly on a par with other drivers at this stage. The pilot has been such a success that we have already started the process to recruit a second cohort of ex-offenders.”
