First graduate first

A North American placement has for the first time been built into FirstGroup’s UK based Graduate Management Scheme. Two of its graduates are set to spend six month placements there as part of a new and bespoke commercial element to the graduate programme. Hannah Dobie from Bolton has started life at FirstGroup in the Bus Division’s Marketing Department at Hunslet Park Depot, Leeds and will be off to North America next year. She will be joined by Emma Bryce from Durham who is currently working in ScotRail’s Marketing Department. The company took on 14 more graduate trainees last month.

FirstGroup’s HR Director, John Evans, said, ‘Working in our business in North America will provide our graduates with a new perspective of working in the transport industry. Six months of “hands on” experience across the Atlantic will help develop their potential and is a unique opportunity to experience and better understand our commercial strategies and practices across FirstGroup’s entire operations. Our businesses in the UK and North America are increasingly working closer together as we seek to further establish best practice throughout our organisation. Going forward, we hope to provide more opportunities for our graduates to experience FirstGroup America.’