Hundreds of new bus drivers are to be trained in West Yorkshire to help protect services, reports the Yorkshire Evening Post.
Training provider Realise has been appointed by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to run a ‘Route to Success’ programme designed to bolster the number of bus drivers in the region. Residents of Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale who are over the age of 19 are eligible to sign up and pursue a new career as a bus driver.
Promoted by Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin, it is hoped the scheme will provide a regional solution to the nationwide bus driver shortage which has gripped the industry in recent years. Kairon Flowers, Head of Transport at Realise, told the newspaper: “Just like with HGV drivers, there has been a growing issue in terms of having enough bus drivers to meet demand.
“The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has recognised that and is taking steps to ensure the long-term provision of bus travel within the region remains strong. This training programme also offers individuals seeking a fresh challenge a fantastic opportunity to embark on a new career path.”
Candidates will complete a fully-funded theory course and then will have the option to either enrol onto one of Realise’s 75 fully-funded driver training places to access SME bus companies, or progress to employment with a large operator in the area.
Anyone completing the course can expect to secure a licence in no more than six weeks after starting the programme, and will be guaranteed an interview with a local bus provider, Realise said.
Kairon added: “We are looking for expressions of interest from as many people as possible and we will be launching a major promotion of this opportunity right across West Yorkshire. We have a dedicated training bus to support our activity and this will be used for some of the classroom sessions, as well as to carry out part of the practical elements of driving a bus.”
