A London bus and coach operator has marked National Apprenticeship Week by reaching the milestone of employing 1,000 apprentices – its highest ever number.
Stagecoach is currently training its latest cohort of apprentices in roles ranging from driving and engineering to HR and learning and development, with 200 more positions than last year.
Its apprentices come from all backgrounds and a mix of ages, including Ralph Turtle, a 65-year-old former Flybe Pilot, who completed his driving qualification in Worthing last year.
Stagecoach also offers a ‘trade-up’ scheme that gives existing employees the opportunity to undertake an apprenticeship with its engineering team.
The firm was in the top five organisations participating in last year’s Employer Audit and the only transport operator to be awarded silver membership in 2021.
Stagecoach’s recently launched Sustainability Strategy details its objective of women holding four in 10 of its leadership roles by 2026, and 25% of its workforce representing ethnic minorities.
The commitment also includes offering more work placements for 16 to 24 year olds.
Martin Griffiths, Stagecoach Chief Executive said: “Apprenticeships are critical to our future workforce and an area that Stagecoach has invested in for many years.
“As the UK’s biggest bus, coach and tram operator, apprenticeships bring huge value to our business in terms of talent and diversity.
“We have been at the forefront of championing apprentices in our workforce for many years and it is great that we now have over 1,000 apprentices across our companies in England, Scotland and Wales.”
National Apprenticeship Week runs from 7 to 11 February.
