The region’s leading bus company has teamed up with Gateshead College and hired 11 new apprentices to expand its highly skilled workforce.
The new bus and coach engineers and coachbuilder recruits have joined Go North East to help it maintain and service its fleet of buses as it continues to grow and support the region’s public transport needs.
Through its highly successful apprenticeship scheme designed and delivered in partnership with Gateshead College, the apprentices will complete a four-year training contract. This includes one day a week training using state-of-the-art equipment at Gateshead College’s Skills Academy for Automotive and Engineering on Team Valley.
At the end of the apprenticeship, they’ll become fully qualified and be offered a permanent engineering or coachbuilding role at Go North East, which currently has over 1,900 employees across the business.
Colin Barnes, engineering director at Go North East, said: “Nearly 90% of our engineering workforce started their role as apprentices, including myself, and it’s something we’re hugely proud of.
“We believe that a strong, skilled and productive workforce can only result from equipping our employees with the training, experience and expertise they need to succeed in their role from the very beginning.
“This is why we work closely with Gateshead College to help us find the next generation of engineering technicians and coachbuilders and provide a bespoke apprenticeship that develops the skills we need our workforce to have.
“I’m delighted to welcome our 11 new apprentices to Go North East where they have the opportunity to enjoy a long and progressive career.”
The well-established apprenticeship programme has been running for over 10 years and is designed in a way that’s completely bespoke to the ongoing and changing needs of Go North East.
The programme has developed in line with the business so that it can provide the workforce Go North East requires to help keep the region moving each day.
Kevin Marston, Assistant Principal at Gateshead College, said: “Our partnership with Go North East continues to go from strength to strength as we adapt and evolve the apprenticeship to meet the organisation’s ongoing workforce requirements.
“Recruiting and developing the right people is vital to any employer’s success and growth plans. We work with many high profile organisations across the region and nationally to develop tailored apprenticeships that provide the bespoke skills they need for specific or specialist job roles across the business.”
For more information about the apprenticeships Gateshead College offers visit www.gateshead.ac.uk/apprenticeships, and to view Go North East’s latest vacancies head to www.gonortheast.co.uk/join-the-team.