Perthbusgiantcalls fornewschemeto encourageyouth
Perth-based transport giant Stagecoach has called for a new Scottish apprenticeship to be created to help encourage more young people to get a career in the public transport sector.
Stagecoach marked Scottish Apprenticeship Week this week by making the call, and said such a qualification would make funding more flexible and could give youngsters access to hundreds of extra apprenticeships.
This comes after the company said it would recruit 600 extra apprentices in 2020, and by the end of the year will employ around 1000 driver apprentices and 200 engineering apprentices.
Currently there is no bus and coach driver apprenticeship available in Scotland.
Stagecoach has also called for a more flexible approach to apprenticeship funding - although the role of a bus driver cannot be undertaken by anyone under the age of 18, funding in Scotland for apprenticeships is largely focused on those between the ages of 16 and 18.
Matthew Darroch, apprenticeships manager at Stagecoach, said: “There has been a welcome focus on upskilling the UK’s workforce by governments across the country in recent years.
“We have been making huge investments in extensive new opportunities for young people, but we want to do more.
“Stagecoach is the industry leader in delivering bus driver apprenticeships in England, and we have similar ambitions for Scotland.
“If a Scottish modern apprenticeship in bus and coach driving was made available, Stagecoach would be able to deliver around 250 of these apprenticeships a year in Scotland.
“Public transport is central to delivering the Scottish Government’s welcome and ambitious climate change targets.
“To make that happen, the public transport sector needs the next generation of skilled bus drivers to operate the vital greener bus and coach services which support our economy and keep our communities connected.
“These simple changes could also help give further impetus to the bus sector in Scotland, which is a world leader in terms of manufacturing and operations.”