The passenger transport sector is showcasing success in delivering apprenticeships ahead of National Apprenticeship Week 2025
LNER apprentice train driver Aleena Phull
Key players in the passenger transport sector will use National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (February 10-16) to showcase the work they are doing to attract new talent and develop their skills.
This special section of Passenger Transport is devoted to that work. It includes articles from Wrightbus, Lumo/Hull Trains and First Bus.
National Apprenticeship Week is the biggest week in the apprenticeships and skills calendar. The week brings together everyone passionate about apprenticeships and skills to celebrate the value, benefits, and opportunities they
bring. It will highlight how apprenticeships are an excellent option for young people wishing to start a career, for employees looking to progress in their current role or retrain for a new job, or for employers needing to fill skills gaps to help grow their businesses.
I am looking forward to celebrating the achievements of the thousands who take on apprenticeships every year this coming National Apprenticeship Week
Commenting last year, skills minister Jacqui Smith said: “I am looking forward to celebrating the achievements of the thousands who take on apprenticeships every year this coming National Apprenticeship Week. They wouldn’t have these opportunities without the support of employers who train these talented individuals in the skills we need for the future.
“With our new Growth and Skills Levy, we are giving these businesses greater flexibility over their training, and through Skills England we will boost opportunities across the country so even more people can get on in life and drive
our economic recovery.”
Visit the National Apprenticeship Week 2025 website for more information, to download the toolkits, and to get involved.
‘A unique opportunity’
Ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, LNER is among the transport employers showcasing the opportunities for apprentices. The intercity train operator highlighted a number of its apprenticeship recruits, including former makeup artist Aleena Phull, who decided to pursue a train driving apprenticeship.
More than 100 apprentices are learning and working across its 956-mile route, including keeping customers safe, driving trains and developing technology.
Among them is Phil Banks, a former police officer who has come from walking the beat to working onboard as an apprentice train manager. Digital apprentice Libby Whitehorn also shares her experience after swapping the world of social media to work on projects that will simplify travel for LNER’s customers. Their stories are highlighted in a special short film that lifts the lid on some of the rail industry’s apprenticeship opportunities.
Phull, a former makeup artist turned apprentice train driver, joined LNER in a search for stability after finding the world of self-employment insecure. She said: “I found my way through working on the ticket gates, to dispatching trains, and eventually I wanted to push myself to do something else. I definitely recommend an apprenticeship. LNER makes sure you are well prepared. I’ll head out on my first solo drive in October once I qualify and I’m very excited.”
Paula Bullock, people director at LNER, commented: “Apprenticeships at LNER are a unique opportunity for people to develop new skills, progress, and explore a different role or completely new industry, whether that’s in their first year of work or later in their careers. We’re proud to offer a range of apprenticeships across our business and encourage anyone to look at the variety of opportunities we offer.”
Transport’s top Apprenticeship Employers: Rankings 2024
Source: Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers, Department for Education
The Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers celebrates England’s outstanding apprenticeship employers in 2024, recognising their commitment to creating new apprenticeships, the diversity of their apprentices, and the number of apprentices who successfully achieve their apprenticeships.
The rankings are produced annually by the Department for Education, in partnership with High Fliers Research, who independently assess and rank the nation’s top apprenticeship employers. Entries for the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in 2024 were open to apprenticeship employers in England with a minimum of 250 employees and 25 apprentices.
The Top 100 included five employers from the passenger transport sector, with The Go-Ahead Group achieving the highest ranking (7th). Between them, they took on more than 2,000 new apprentices in 2024, with apprentices accounting for between 3% and 8% of their employees.
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This story appears inside the latest issue of Passenger Transport.
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