THE recent HGV crisis saw thousands of people retrain as lorry drivers – but now the bus and coach industry is facing a shortage too.
Around 30 per cent of current drivers are aged over 55 — and fewer youngsters are choosing driving as a career.
Volodymyr Syrotiuk is now a bus driver after coming to the UK as part of the Government’s Ukrainian refugee schemeJames Pike
The shortage has been exacerbated by the rise of online shopping, which has led to courier and delivery firms recruiting new trainees.
As a result, about 6.5 per cent of jobs are vacant across the bus and coach industry, causing cancellations for passengers.
To combat the shortage, bus firms are driving forward innovative schemes to attract new drivers, including apprenticeships, career-switching roles for over-50s and fast-tracking refugee drivers.
Volodymyr Syrotiuk worked in a warehouse and drove trucks near Kyiv before the Ukraine war.
His workplace was destroyed when fighting broke out and he moved to Brighton as part of the Government refugee scheme.
After the Department for Work and Pensions allowed Ukrainians to swap driving licences for the UK version, Volodymyr, 61, was hired by Go Ahead to drive buses in Sussex.
He said: “I like living in the UK and I’d encourage anyone to be a bus driver like me.
“It’s a very satisfying career and I get to be in a position where I’m responsible for 80 passengers on my bus.”
Martin Dean, MD of UK Regional Bus for national firm Go-Ahead, said: “Driving a bus is a fantastic job.
“You meet all sorts of people on board, and there’s never a dull day.
“Plus you’re doing something valuable and worthwhile — you’re helping people to get to work, to school, to the shops or for days out.
“Britain runs on buses, and our bus drivers are vital.”
To apply for a job, you will only need a licence to drive a car as additional training is given.
There are an increasing number of opportunities for part-time drivers with shifts to fit around other responsibilities.
Salaries vary regionally from around £24,000 to almost £37,000 in London for experienced drivers, with jobs available nationwide.
Jobspot
DANFORTH Care Homes has vacancies for managers, chefs and care assistants.
See danforthcarehomes.co.uk/careers.
CAREER TIPS TO BANK ON
THE August Bank Holiday weekend is usually the time to relax and enjoy the end of summer.
But some careers experts believe it’s a great weekend to get ahead in your job search.
Amanda Augustine from TopCV shares her tips on how you can get ahead on your job search over the Bank HolidaySupplied
Amanda Augustine, from TopCV, shares her long-weekend tips.
She said: “The quieter period means that many companies have more time to recruit and fewer CVs on their desk thanks to others falling victim to the summer-slowdown myth.”
Upgrade your brand: It takes less than ten seconds for a recruiter to decide if you’re a fit for a job. So update your CV and ensure it is “Applicant Tracking System” friendly by including keywords and phrases for the jobs you want.
Do the same for your LinkedIn profile.Party with a purpose: Going to a party, festival or the beach this weekend? Use it as an opportunity to network.
Practise an “elevator pitch”, you never know when you’ll meet someone who can help with your job search.Quench their thirst: If you know someone who works for a company or in a sector that’s of interest, this is a good time to take them out for a coffee.
These informal chats can uncover new job leads and gain insight into a company’s hiring process.Set summer hours: Keep yourself on track by blocking off time in your diary to focus on your job search.
Thanks to mobile technology, you can keep your job search moving forward no matter where you go this Bank Holiday weekend.
Jobspot
THE Advantage Travel Partnership has vacancies for 50 apprentices.
For further information, head to the site instituteforapprenticeships.org.
SUMMER REFRESH
FORGET waiting until January for a new job.
Figures from recruitment service Ambitions Personnel show August is the most common month for resignations, followed by October.
Known by recruiters as the “summer refresh”, there is a spike in staff quitting their roles after they come back from holiday.
Mandy Watson, director of Ambitions Personnel, said: “People may be using their holidays to reassess their situations and resign to pursue other opportunities before the end of the year.”
LEARN HOW TO CODE FOR FREE
CLICK with a new career. Coding school 42 London is offering the chance to train as a coder for free.
You don’t need prior experience and all learning is project-based rather than traditionally taught by tutors.
The next course begins in October and graduates can anticipate average annual earnings of £50,000 in a sector that has grown hugely in recent years.
Lilian Pontes, UK director of 42 London, says: “Our mission is to democratise education and create a diverse community of skilled coders who can meet the increasing demand for qualified IT professionals by businesses and shape the future of technology without the constraints of debt.”
See if you pass the online gaming application at 42london.com. Apply by the end of September.