Stagecoach East is tackling the engineering skills shortage with visits to schools and colleges as it welcomes its latest round of apprentices.
Engineering Director Terry Absalom (pictured above, second from left) is undertaking an ongoing tour of learning establishments in the region to increase interest in the opportunities in a bid to help rectify the UK shortfall of engineers that numbers, according to the State of Engineering report, 37,000-59,000.
Meanwhile, the latest batch of new engineers have begun their Bus and Coach Engineering Technician with Mechanical and Electrical Disciplines (Mechelec) courses, which will last either three or four years. They will work full-time with Stagecoach East and, nine times per year for three years, they will attend five-day college sessions.
The three apprentices were selected from 80 candidates after assessments last February which involved literacy and numeracy tests and engineering comprehension, together with an interview.
Darren Roe, Managing Director for Stagecoach East, says: “We are very proud to introduce our new apprentices for 2023. Our assessment processes are extremely rigorous, so I know that they must all be outstanding candidates. We wish them every success in their new roles.
“We will now give them every opportunity to thrive in a positive and encouraging environment. As Stagecoach East, one of our key philosophies is that ‘we are all in it together’ so it is quite proper that all levels of management should support the new apprentices’ journeys.
“We are hugely proud to serve the passengers and communities that we bring together every day, and I hope that pride and enthusiasm came across today.”
As well as Mr Absalom’s visits as part of the ongoing outreach programme, the operator has also taken on work experience students at its Cambridge, Bedford and Peterborough depots.
