They used to work in a wide sweep of jobs – anywhere from a bowling alley to the British Library – and now they’re the career switchers at the heart of a new post-pandemic recruitment drive by Transdev in northern England.
Transdev UK, which already employs over 1,300 people at its eight operating centers across Lancashire and Yorkshire, is looking to expand thanks to significant new local authority contract wins and its own plans to grow its commercially operated network.
It’s now launched the first phase of its recruitment campaign, with eye-catching advertisements featuring several of those who’ve already made a successful switch from a variety of careers to a new start at the wheel of a Transdev bus.
Former Lancashire pub landlady Dawn Kenyon is one of the stars of Transdev’s recruitment drive.
I was looking for a change of career after the smoking ban came in for pubs, followed by a decision to move a pedestrian crossing outside the pub which took away a lot of passing trade.
Years earlier when I left college my mum suggested driving as a career, and in the end, she was right. I joined The Burnley Bus Company as a trainee driver – I was lucky as I’d driven tractors and fork-lift trucks when I was younger. I hit the curb once on my first bus driving lesson, but after that I never looked back!
Dawn Kenyon
Recruitment is now underway for a new bus network under a new brand, ‘Ribble Country’, in partnership with Lancashire County Council – and Dawn hopes more women will follow in her footsteps and become a bus driver when it launches in May.
I’ve had a lot of people recognizing me from the recruitment posters – I’m on two seven-foot billboards at Burnley Bus Station and on the electronic departure stand screens, as well as on the company’s social media, so people see me on there and get a surprise when it’s me driving their bus.
We’ve got to do all we can to attract the right people to come and join our team, especially now with so many looking for a new start after the pandemic. The buses are high standard, and anyone of any height can learn to drive them – if you’re confident in driving and you’re good with people, this is the job for you.
Dawn Kenyon
Now is the time to join our award-winning team, as we look to build buses back better beyond the pandemic. We’re preparing to meet thousands of new customers, and we have plans for further growth in 2021 and beyond.
We’re looking for caring people who are always happy to help – team players who never say never and can give our customers the warm welcome on board we’re famous for.
We currently have vacancies in several locations, and as our new recruitment campaign shows, our drivers come from a wide variety of backgrounds, but have one thing in common – they all care passionately about giving amazing customer service. We offer one of our industry’s best remuneration packages to the right people, and we can’t wait to welcome you on board.
Alex Hornby, Local Transdev CEO
New recruits to Transdev’s team are fully supported throughout their journey to success by a specially trained mentor, giving guidance on route learning, vehicle familiarization, ticket machines and more. Transdev’s package of benefits is one of the most generous in the bus industry, including.
A new fleet of buses is being built in the North West for Transdev’s ‘Ribble Country’ network, which will provide vital transportation links for new customers across the Ribble Valley, and for the first time, south of Preston to serve Bamber Bridge and Leyland.
The choice of name for the new network reflects Transdev’s pride in its heritage, as Preston-based predecessor Ribble Motor Services used the ‘Ribble Country’ brand in the late 1980s to promote its services in the private sector.
Details of all vacancies can be found on the careers page of each of Transdev’s six main bus operating companies, online at: https://www.transdevbus.co.uk, by emailing: [email protected] or by calling Transdev’s recruitment hotline on +44 (0)1423 884633.