UK: The Passenger Transport Driver apprenticeship programme has been expanded to cover the light rail sector.
This follows work by industry body UKTram and the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education to ensure the course meets the requirements of light rail operators.
‘In an ideal world, we would have a dedicated tram driver apprenticeship programme but, due to the numbers involved, this is simply not a viable option’, said UKTram Operations Manager Steve Duckering on December 11.
’When the apprenticeship standards were due for revision, we were asked to help put together the required core knowledge, understanding, skills and behaviours relevant for tram drivers.
’Clearly, combining these elements so they fit for bus, coach and tram drivers was quite a challenge and took months of hard work, but we found there was plenty of crossover, including caring for customers and other duties and responsibilities.
‘As members of the Standard Revision Group, we were also involved in compiling an end-point assessment plan that could be a viable option for our industry while also meeting the government’s requirements for funding, which has since been approved.’
