Local bus and tram operator Blackpool Transport has announced that it is investing in 49 apprenticeships in 2019 under a partnership forged with Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC).
A new staff development programme will see 45 existing employees embark on a Level 3 or Level 5 apprenticeship in Leadership and Management and four new apprentices joining the company in the coming weeks.
The four new apprenticeships will be in Engineering, Human Resources and Digital Marketing as Blackpool Transport continues its programme of investment, modernisation and exploitation of the latest technology.
Blackpool and The Fylde College has been appointed as the learning provider for the apprenticeships and will support employees throughout their studies over the course of the next 18 to 24 months.
The development programme gets underway in May and will be run through the company’s recently established virtual training school, which aims to provide a community of lifetime learning and development that offers continuous training for all staff within the business.
Study will take place using some of the most modern and best equipped facilities available within B&FC. Those working towards Level 3 qualifications will study at the Lancashire Energy HQ campus at Squires Gate which was built just two years ago at a cost of £12.2 million, whilst Level 5 students will be using the B&FC University Centre on Park Road in Blackpool. Both campuses provide a very adaptable and class-leading learning environment.
Jane Cole, Managing Director at Blackpool Transport, said: “This investment in our people of the future is so exciting and a real milestone on our journey to provide a first-class local transport network with well-trained and highly-skilled staff members. Blackpool and The Fylde College has provided a huge amount of support and care already and I’m delighted to be able to work with such a fantastic centre of learning.”
Claire Lee, Business Development Director at B&FC for Business, the dedicated business support unit at the college, said: “We are very pleased to be Blackpool Transport’s partner of choice for the delivery of this exciting and ambitious workforce development strategy, which is going to be an essential part of creating the world-class public transport system that Blackpool deserves.
“Our partnership is a prime example of how by working collaboratively we can make a long-term positive impact on the range and level of skills and talent that all progressive and growing businesses are facing today and that are needed across all business sectors to support the UK’S workforce of the future.”
