Arriva Buses Wales, is sending its drivers on their way to providing better customer service.
The operator has so far sent 60 staff on the WorldHost training programme, and is aiming to have all 500 drivers up to speed in 2012.
The WorldHost customer service programme has a proven track record worldwide and was used to train 39,000 staff for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
The programme was brought to the UK last year by People 1st and adapted to meet the needs of the passenger transport and tourism industry. The course is currently running at 50 sites across the UK.
Michael Morton, MD at Arriva Buses Wales, said: “North Wales welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and we want to make sure our service will provide more than just a means of transport for our customers. We want to make them feel welcome while providing them with useful information about the area.
“Our drivers already undergo a number of transport-specific qualifications but we want to deliver training akin to that used in the hospitality industry and saw WorldHost as the perfect match.”
Phil Raynsford of People 1st, added: “The tourism industry is increasingly competitive and WorldHost provides companies with an edge over rivals. WorldHost gives employers the chance to train their staff in a programme which has a proven track record worldwide and achieve a recognised qualification which they can keep for life.”
People 1st merged with transport sector skills council GoSkills on July 4, 2011.
