Workshop wonders Owen and Matt first to finish bus firm’s unique three-year apprenticeship programme
They’re both in the driving seat for a bright future – Matthew Glass and Owen Baxter are the first to complete bus operator Transdev’s new three-year engineering apprenticeship programme.
Matthew and Owen are both celebrating success in their quest for a top engineering qualification, and are now on course to enjoy above average annual earnings of around £40,000 plus overtime as a fully-fledged engineer.
As Transdev and the wider bus industry continue their transition to zero-emission electric buses, the bus firm says demand for time-served engineers is at an all-time high – making now the ideal time to qualify.
22 year old Owen Baxter beat over 50 applicants in August 2021 for the chance to join Transdev’s The Harrogate Bus Company as a Mechelec Engineering Apprentice. Three years on, he’s now a fully skilled and qualified engineer with an industry-recognised Level 3 qualification.
The term ‘Mechelec’ reflects the combination of mechanical and electrical skills required for the role, along with the ability to track down and fix complex faults and keep buses on the road serving customers across the North of England.
A Mechelec technician has to work with a varied bus fleet from different manufacturers, with inspection, fault diagnosis, repair and testing of electronic and mechanical systems all part of the job – along with everything from replacing a single faulty part to solving complex faults using up-to-the-minute computerised diagnostic equipment.
Owen’s bus journey goes back to Spring 2021, when having completed three years of study at Newcastle College to secure his Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma in Engineering, he spotted an online advertisement for a coveted apprenticeship at The Harrogate Bus Company’s workshops.
Gaining the ability to look at something that doesn’t work, find the cause, and then fix it, is what attracted me to this. The feeling of achievement when you return a bus to the road takes some beating,
I learn something new every day from my colleagues in the workshop and through experience. I was proud to be named as Apprentice of the Year in 2022’s Harrogate Advertiser Excellence in Business Awards, and that success along with the support of my colleagues, family and friends helped me to complete my journey to become a fully qualified engineering technician.
Owen Baxter, New Engineer
Across the Pennines in Lancashire, 24 year old Matthew Glass has also just qualified as a fully skilled Level 3 engineer. Matthew, from Darwen, grew up in an engineering family – his dad was a car mechanic – but nearly didn’t make it to his dream career in the workshop.
As a student, Matthew initially chose to enrol on a college course in accountancy, but soon knew it wasn’t for him. An interim job in a bookmakers made use of his ability with figures, but at heart he knew he still wanted to be an engineer.
The best part of the three-year apprenticeship has been seeing the improvement in my ability to trace a fault and repair it. The first time I looked under a bus, it just looked like a big lump of metal, but over the three years I’ve gained a lot of confidence in my ability to do most jobs in the workshop.
The support I have from my colleagues at the Intack workshops in Blackburn is just amazing – they all freely share their experience and I always know that if I can’t work out what’s wrong or how to fix it, they’re always happy to point me in the right direction.
For the future, I’m looking forward to increasing my knowledge and experience of electric buses, and maybe a longer-term step up into managing things. The great thing about having this qualification is that it opens so many doors.
Matthew Glass, New Engineer
Owen and Matthew now hold the industry-recognised Bus and Coach Engineering Technician Standard qualification. Both will now continue with a blend of in-house training and specialist manufacturer technical courses to develop their skills further.
Transdev is always keen to hear from would-be engineers ready to make their mark in the bus industry. Full details of all opportunities and how to get in touch are on the bus firm’s website here >.
