Further details have been released by RHA about events planned for National Coach Week 2024, which will be held between 8-12 April.
Operations Manager – Coach Sector Andy Warrender advises that much developed in early March around the industry celebration and promotion exercise, which this year will major on the coach sector’s people and opportunities for careers within it.
“In 2022 when we launched National Coach Week, it was about putting the industry back on the map. In 2023, we focused on political engagement and our asks of politicians, an exercise that we believe has continued to deliver benefits since then,” says Mr Warrender.
“This year, the focus on people will give coach operators, suppliers, manufacturers and other stakeholders the opportunity to highlight the opportunities within their businesses. People are vital to coaching, and we increasingly hear that the industry is governed in its ability to grow by the number of people within it.”
Public and political events are scheduled for the week, with RHA’s driving simulator to take a prominent position. On Tuesday 9 April, it will be present in Peterborough at an event supported by C9 Recruitment and the Department for Work and Pensions where members of the public will be able to explore what driving a coach is like.
The simulator was purchased by RHA in 2023 and it has a variety of modes including coach, Mr Warrender explains. It will also be present at the UK Coach Rally in Blackpool over the weekend of 13-14 April. RHA Technical Director Paul Allera will accompany the simulator to assist those who try it.
While National Coach Week 2024 majors on people, RHA will use it to launch an updated coach manifesto. The Association hopes for senior political representation when it does so, with Mr Warrender noting that the manifesto “is a live document” and has been updated over the past year.
“Our coach manifesto is continually evolving,” he says. As an example, it now includes RHA’s call for the adoption as a starting point in the UK for change to coach drivers’ hours as being those amendments that are progressing in the EU, which Mr Warrender notes should be straightforward task.
“It would be a shame if UK coach drivers and operators were left at a disadvantage here as a result of Brexit if we do not follow suit,” he adds.
Other planned events will include work in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with RHA noting that it has “a four-nation approach” to coaches.
Exploring the recruitment and retention policies of Lothian Motorcoaches is among those, while collaboration with Pelican Bus and Coach will see some of its apprentices talk about their experience in coach, with political attendance expected at that gathering. Highlighting the need to increase the number of vehicle technicians entering the industry is also planned.
On a local level, RHA is advising operators that wish to engage with elected representatives, while sponsor Backhouse Jones will receive the driving similar on Friday 12 April as it makes its way towards Blackpool. An event in Wales to showcase the industry to those leaving education is also planned.
RHA estimates that 50% of the coaches in the UK are now part of an operator that is represented by a trade body. Mr Warrender is keen to stress that participation in National Coach Week goes beyond individual businesses or organisations, and he has called on all in the sector to support the initiative.
“This is about promoting the industry as a whole while putting across our asks,” he says, adding that information on further events will follow over the coming weeks. A social media campaign under the hashtag #NationalCoachWeek will also be staged.
