The region’s biggest bus company, Go North East has welcomed four new engineering team members following completion of its award-winning apprenticeship, with the baton being passed to a further four new learners preparing to embark on their new careers.
Run in partnership with Gateshead College, Go North East’s popular bus and coach mechanical engineering apprenticeship receives over 500 (545 in 2016) applications for the average intake of up to 10 new apprentices, each year.
After successfully completing the four-year programme, Ross Dryden, Andrew Wrightson, Richard Whittaker and Jonathon Dodds have now officially joined the ranks as fully-fledged engineering team members across three of the bus operator’s eight depots in the region.
Almost 90% of Go North East’s engineering workforce started their careers as apprentices. The 256-strong team currently has 31 apprentices studying at varying levels of training.
Amongst the four new starters beginning their roles in September are three new mechanical/electrical apprentices.
James Young, 19 and Jak Watson, 20, both joined Go North East’s flagship Riverside depot, while 18-year-old Aaron Jones, is based at the bus operator’s Stanley depot.
Ambitious Jak was inspired to apply for the apprenticeship by his mum, Natasha Tanner who also works at Go North East’s Riverside depot in driver training.
And it’s a real family affair, with Jak’s stepdad, Stephen Tanner based out of the same depot as a driver.
The fourth new apprentice to join the team was also encouraged to apply by a family member already working for Go North East.
Luke Mitcheson, from Peterlee is one of just a handful of coachbuilder apprentices within Go North East’s engineering team, based at the company’s Saltmeadows depot in Gateshead.
The 17-year-old’s mum, Tracy Milson is a bus driver at the company’s Deptford depot.
All of Go North East’s new apprentices will spend one day a week training using state-of-the-art equipment at Gateshead College’s £5.5 million Skills Academy for Automotive, Engineering, Manufacturing and Logistics based at Team Valley in Gateshead.
For more information about Go North East, visit www.gonortheast.co.uk.