He’s firmly in the driving seat for a bright future – Matthew Glass is the first in Lancashire to complete bus operator Transdev’s new three-year engineering apprenticeship programme.
Matthew is celebrating success in his quest for a top engineering qualification, and is 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.
24 year old Matthew beat over 50 applicants in August 2021 for the chance to join Transdev’s The Blackburn 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 Lancashire and beyond.
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.
Matthew says: “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 now holds the industry-recognised Bus and Coach Engineering Technician Standard qualification, and will now continue with a blend of in-house training and specialist manufacturer technical courses to develop his workshop skills further.
Transdev is always keen to hear from would-be engineers ready to make their mark in Lancashire’s bus industry. Full details of all opportunities and how to get in touch are on the bus firm’s website at: transdevbus.co.uk/careers.
