TRANSDEV – which runs Keighley Bus Company – has launched a new three-year engineering apprenticeship programme.

The firm says successful candidates will gain a top engineering qualification and above-average pay, plus the chance of overtime.

And everyone who completes the programme will obtain a full Passenger Carrying Vehicle driving licence.

Apprentices will combine on-the-job training with college study.

Transdev is hosting two assessment events this month, on August 27 and 28, so is urging anyone interested in joining the programme to apply as soon as possible.

More details can be found at transdevbus.co.uk/work-for-us

Three years ago, Owen Baxter was chosen from over 50 applicants to become a 'Mechelec' engineering apprentice. The term reflects the mechanical and electrical elements of the role.

Now the 21-year-old is about to become a fully-fledged engineer with an industry-recognised Level 3 qualification.

Owen had studied at Newcastle College to secure a BTEC extended diploma in engineering when he spotted an online advertisement for the Transdev apprenticeship post.

"I knew it was my chance to make my career dreams come true," he says.

"The joy of the job for me is in fault finding – the ability to look at something that doesn’t work, find the cause and fix it.

"That feeling of achievement when you return a bus to the road is what first drove me to build my career as an engineer."

A Transdev spokesperson says: "The engineer role is about much more than simple day-to-day repairs.

"A Mechelec technician has to work with a varied bus fleet from different manufacturers – with inspections, diagnoses, repairs and testing of electronic and mechanical systems all part of the job, whilst mastering everything from replacing a single part to solving complex faults using the latest computerised diagnostic equipment.

"And as Transdev and the wider bus industry continue the transition to zero-emission electric buses, there’s never been a better time than now to apply to join the apprenticeship programme – with demand for time-served engineers at an all-time high."

Transdev announced last year that it was investing in 15 new electric buses to convert one of its most popular routes to zero-emission operations.

The Shuttle service, which runs between Keighley and Bradford, is set to be transformed by the end of this year.

An order was placed for Mercedes-Benz E-Citaro all-electric single-deck buses, after successful trials both on the Shuttle route and between Harrogate and Knaresborough.