bluestar pioneers apprenticeship scheme

Go-Ahead owned bluestar has had its first success in the new apprenticeship scheme it is pioneering, with 18 year old apprentice bus driver, Andrew Fitzgerald, passing his PCV driving test. Since joining last year, Andrew has been put through his paces behind the wheel and in all other aspects of the operator’s business. Having completed the driving section of his training, he will now be learning about the engineering team.

bluestar Operations Manager, Paul Coyne, said, ‘We wanted to create a scheme that provides an insight into everything we do – from driving and engineering to customer service and bus fleet control. The objective is to develop an enthusiastic and knowledgeable team player whose primary role is to transport our passengers across Southampton and Eastleigh with customer service at the heart of it all. Andrew impressed us with his passion for the bus industry. This is a brand new apprenticeship scheme for us. Operators across Europe, particularly in Germany, see it as an excellent method of bringing through new drivers and I hope it’s something we can develop further over the coming years.’