Mansfield bus operator highlights value of apprentices, as government rolls out new vocational qualification
Stagecoach East Midlands has put a spotlight on the outstanding work done by its Engineering Apprentices, in driving the operation forward and maintaining its reputation for reliability, after the government, again, highlighted the importance of vocational training.
Matt Cranwell, Managing Director of Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “We are hugely proud of the work done by our Engineering Apprentices. They really are the future of the bus industry – it is their dedication and ingenuity which will drive the industry forward into the future.
“Stagecoach offers an award-winning Engineering Apprenticeship scheme, and we go to great lengths to make sure that apprentices get the knowledge and skills they need to accomplish their goals, and to provide them with a robust career, offering the best possible service for our loyal customers.”
The comments come just days after the announcement that new vocational courses, called V-levels, will be rolled out for 16-year-olds. Speaking at the Labour Party Conference, last month, Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, insisted that the old target of having half of young people going to university “was no longer right for our times” and, instead, there should be a greater emphasis on vocational training.
Stagecoach’s Engineering Apprenticeships last four years and are structured to provide comprehensive learning and skill development. Across the East Midlands, Engineering Apprentices include Mark Boult, who has traded-up to become a Bodybuilder, and Apprentice of the Year, Adam Flowers.
Apprentices play a key role in maintaining Stagecoach East Midlands’ reputation for reliability, both today and into the future. Last month, the operator revealed figures showing that, over the past 12 months, it has run 99.56% of the miles it was timetabled to run. This means that it was unable to operate only one in every 225 scheduled trips - and nearly half of this very small amount of mileage lost was due to factors outside of the operator’s control, like congestion and road diversions.
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