Go-Ahead has pledged to expand apprentice recruitment by 20% this year following last year’s successful recruitment campaign.
In 2019 the firm met its target of recruiting 1,000 apprentices including positions in customer service, business administration and mechanical, engineering and technical roles. Training takes between 12 and 36 months.
Recent recruits include mothers returning to work, a former mental health counsellor and a prison worker.
Go-Ahead Group Chief Executive David Brown says: “We successfully reached 1,000 apprentices in 2019 and now we’re being even more ambitious. We understand the importance of recruiting talent from all walks of life and many of our senior leaders at Go-Ahead London, Go North East and Plymouth Citybus started as apprentices. I’m especially proud of the success of our bus driver apprenticeships, which have gone from strength to strength since their launch last year.”
This target includes hiring 400 new apprentice bus drivers in Go-Ahead London, where former engineering apprentice John Trayner now serves as Managing Director. Reflecting the employer’s commitment to diversity, two-thirds of Go-Ahead London apprentices come from BAME backgrounds and two-thirds of apprentices are over 30 years old.
