Employers in the passenger transport sector have been celebrating National Apprenticeship Week

 
Apprentices at train operator Northern

As the country celebrates National Apprenticeship Week 2026 (February 9-15), employers in the passenger transport sector have been promoting their efforts attract new talent and develop their skills. This special section of Passenger Transport highlights that work. It includes articles from the Department for Education and bus operator Lothian on the value of apprenticeships.

Here is a summary of how some other employers in the passenger transport sector have marked National Apprenticeship Week:

Transport for London
Transport for London celebrated National Apprenticeship Week by highlighting the wide range of apprenticeship roles that are available across the organisation.

The opportunities, including some opened earlier this year, span from Level 2 to Level 6 (a Level 2 apprenticeship being equivalent to five GCSEs, and Level 6 equivalent to achieving a degree), will allow people of all ages and from all walks of life to learn on the job while earning. The 157 roles span a variety of locations across the organisation, including asset and track maintenance, London Underground escalators, tram engineering, and London Underground construction site supervision.

New for 2026 is an apprenticeship as a London Underground Construction Site Supervisor, which will see successful applicants gain hands-on experience overseeing ballasted track renewals and deep Tube renewals across the Tube network. The apprentices will learn to supervise specialist contractors and workers on construction projects, ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency. TfL is also looking for applicants for its Trams Engineering apprenticeship.

TfL welcomed work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden to the Railway Engineering Works in Acton. There, joined by London’s transport commissioner, Andy Lord, he saw first-hand how apprentices learn to repair trains and railways and spent time talking to them about their apprenticeships and future careers.

McFadden said: “Every young person deserves the chance to build a rewarding career, and apprenticeships like these at TfL show what investing in young people can achieve. These 157 apprenticeships are launchpads for young people’s future careers.

“This government is creating thousands more apprenticeship opportunities for young people so even more can take that crucial first step in their career, as well as our Youth Guarantee which will give all every young person the chance to earn or learn.”

CPT
The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) marked National Apprenticeship Week by highlighting the vital role apprenticeships in the sector play in building a skilled workforce, strengthening local communities, and supporting the government’s ambition to reduce the number of young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET).

New figures show apprenticeships in the bus industry are continuing to grow. In the academic year ending July 2025, apprenticeship starts increased from 1,003 to 1,098, up 9.4%, while apprenticeship graduations rose from 696 to 767, an increase of 10%.

At the same time, recent national data indicates that almost one million young people are NEET, representing a 26% increase from pre-pandemic levels. CPT believes apprenticeships are a practical and proven route to help reverse that trend.

CPT operations director Keith McNally commented: “Apprenticeships provide an essential route into a sector that keeps communities connected. They offer life changing careers, nationally recognised qualifications, and the chance to learn while earning. With nearly one million young people currently not in education, employment, or training, apprenticeships can play a key role in helping people into rewarding work. At a time when our industry sees a shortage of drivers, apprenticeships are a great way to develop the future generation of drivers that can keep passengers on the move.”

Realise
Kairon Flowers, director of transport at training provider Realise, used National Apprenticeship Week to highlight how apprenticeships are being increasingly used by bus operators to strengthen the workforce and drive long-term strategic growth.

Stagecoach, First Bus, Go North West, Metroline and Transdev are amongst the operators Realise has supported through its Level 2 Passenger Transport Apprenticeship, with the provider celebrating its 1,000th bus driver apprentice achiever last year.

With an estimated shortfall of over 4,000 drivers nationwide, leadership teams of operators from large national fleets to local independent firms are seeking a solution to ongoing retention and recruitment issues.
Flowers said: “More than ever, apprenticeships are crucial to the success of bus operators and their ability to deliver crucial services to the local communities in which they operate without the need to reduce or cut routes and with a high level of customer service.

“The ongoing staff shortfall is disrupting services and, in some cases, having a detrimental effect on business performance, so having a strategy in place to ensure a pipeline of new talent is being constantly produced.

“Developing a sustainable and successful apprenticeship programme can have short, medium and long-term benefits.

“New apprentices can be out on the road in a matter of a couple of months and that can quickly reduce the reliance on agency staff or short-term hires.”

Flowers continued: “Whatever the size of a bus operator, an apprenticeship programme will deliver crucial benefits which stand the business in good stead moving forward.”

The apprenticeship programme, which can be developed in a bespoke manner for each operator, includes training in safe working practices, emergency hazard management, customer service and professionalism, as well as the acquisition of a Passenger Carrying Vehicle licence.

HS2
HS2 has exceeded its target of creating 2,000 apprenticeships on Britain’s high-speed rail project. Latest data shows that an additional 99 people started an apprenticeship between September and December 2025. This brings the total number of new apprentice starts on the project to 2,032 – exceeding the original target.

This comes as a new report from HS2 Ltd – Mind the Skills Gap – shows that the combination of apprenticeships and workless job starts delivered on the project to date is worth £315m to the UK economy. The figure is expected to grow in the years ahead as HS2’s construction progresses from major civil engineering to rail systems installation.

Rail minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “This government is committed to breaking down barriers and opening opportunities for young people, and HS2’s continued success in creating thousands of high‑quality apprenticeships shows the real difference major infrastructure projects can make to communities across the country.”

Wrightbus
As part of National Apprenticeship Week, Ballymena-based bus manufacturer Wrightbus opened its doors to future talent with two dedicated careers events. The business held an Apprenticeship Open Night and a dedicated Insight Day, offering up to 60 individuals the chance to explore rewarding careers in advanced manufacturing and engineering.

While Level 2 and Level 3 apprenticeships will fill the majority of the roles, organisers are also hoping to generate interest in graduate, under-graduate and higher-level opportunities.

Axel J. Maschka, Wrightbus CEO, said: “Apprentices are a cornerstone of our business and play a crucial role in shaping the future of Wrightbus. They challenge us to think differently, bring new energy into the organisation and contribute meaningfully to how we design, build and improve our vehicles.

Network Rail
In the past year, Network Rail has welcomed 290 new joiners into its apprenticeship programmes. This forms part of the rail infrastructure company’s wider commitment to developing skilled talent, with 1,780 apprentices recruited during the last five years.

Among the apprentices helping to shape the railway is Illaria Knibb, who joined Network Rail in October 2023 and is now a third-year engineering technician apprentice specialising in overhead line equipment. The 24-year-old earned a degree in palaeontology but decided, while at university, to take a different career path. Coming from a non-engineering background, she has embraced the challenges of her role while developing technical skills and learning something new every day.

Knibb, from Kettering, said: “I’d tell anyone thinking about applying for a Network Rail apprenticeship to just go for it. I’ve had the best time, made some friends for life and have a career that I’m proud of. Network Rail really pushes you to be part of the team, so it makes you feel valued from the start.”

 
This story appears inside the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

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