Apprentice engineer's journey from model bus collector to bus engineer

Lifelong bus enthusiast Jack Callaway says landing his engineering apprenticeship at Go North East, the region’s largest bus operator, has been a dream come true. The company is celebrating its apprentices this National Apprenticeship Week.

Jack has been fascinated by buses since he was a child when his family relied on the bus network to get around.

He was working towards an apprenticeship in the car industry when he found out Go North East was recruiting engineering apprentices.

Jack says: “I’ve always been passionate about buses so I jumped at the chance to apply for an apprenticeship at Go North East. I was delighted when I found out my application had been accepted.

“I collect model buses, including replicas of Go North East buses, and during my apprenticeship I’ve had the chance to maintain and drive the real-life version of these models which is a totally surreal experience for a bus enthusiast like me.”

Now only a few weeks away from finishing his four-year apprenticeship in mechanical and electrical engineering, Jack is looking forward to taking up a full-time job at Go North East.

Jack says: “I’d recommend anyone interested in training to be an engineer to consider an apprenticeship at Go North East, whether you’re a bus enthusiast or not.

“It’s a great place to learn – everyone is so supportive and I’ve gained so many practical skills to kickstart my engineering career.”

Go North East plans to recruit engineering apprentices later in the year. Qualified engineers can apply for roles on the Go North East website.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Go North East runs a network of bus routes across the North East region including Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham, and surrounding areas.

The Go-Ahead Group is one of the UK’s leading providers of public transport, enabling more than a billion passenger journeys each year on its bus and rail services. Go-Ahead places great importance on partnership, adopting a collaborative approach with governments, local communities and strategic partners; developing and operating services that create long-term value for all.

For more information about Go-Ahead Group visit www.go-ahead.com.