Wrightbus | Go-Ahead apprenticeship exchange scheme

Two of the UK’s powerhouse transport companies have embarked on an apprentice scheme exchange to increase knowledge and skills amongst its workforce.

Apprentices from the Go-Ahead Group have visited Wrightbus’s Northern Ireland headquarters to learn how buses are designed and built, as part of a skills and training commitment underpinning the companies’ multi-million pound partnership.

The visit of 30 apprentices builds on the partnership announced in 2024, when Wrightbus secured a landmark deal to supply hundreds of buses to Go-Ahead over three years.

Alongside securing manufacturing jobs and supporting the UK supply chain, the agreement established a training and apprenticeships’ fund to develop skills across both businesses.

The apprenticeship exchange scheme also saw Wrightbus employees spend time working at Go-Ahead depots in London and Oxford. The exchanges are designed to give employees from both businesses a broader understanding of the industry, from manufacturing new vehicles to maintaining and servicing buses already in operation.

During their time at Wrightbus, the Go-Ahead apprentices followed the bus manufacturing process from start to finish. Their programme included visits to the chassis shop, paintshop, composites and repair centre, alongside sessions covering production, engineering and planning.

They also explored route analysis, stress analysis and body planning, gaining a broader understanding of the work involved in producing buses for service.

The visit was designed to give visitors with no previous experience of bus manufacturing a better understanding of the complete build process and the different disciplines involved.

Harvey, a second-year engineering apprentice with Go North East, said: “As a technician, we only usually see these buses when they’re five, 10 or 15 years into their life cycle, so it’s been great to see them when they’re brand new and what goes into the quality control at Wrightbus.”

Will, another apprentice with the Go-Ahead Group, said: “It’s been really interesting to see every single step that goes into making the vehicles, especially the electric side of it, which I haven’t had much exposure to yet.”

Christian Reynolds, Managing Director of Wrightbus, said the week-long exchange was the perfect way to share knowledge and develop long-lasting relationships.

“Apprentices are a key part of our business and our industry, and we were delighted to welcome the teams from Go-Ahead and give them an insight into how we work and the way we are developing buses for the future.

“Wrightbus isn’t just here to build buses - we’re here to develop skills, develop relationships with operators, and ensure that every bus built in the UK helps create jobs throughout the supply chain.”

The Go-Ahead partnership reflects Wrightbus's wider commitment to supporting skilled employment and developing the expertise needed to deliver the transition to zero-emission public transport.

More than 90 per cent of the buses covered by the Go-Ahead agreement will be zero-emission vehicles, linking investment in manufacturing and skills with the wider shift towards cleaner public transport.

Richard Harrington, Head of Learning and Development at the Go-Ahead Group, said: “Having worked within this captivating industry for over 40 years covering a multitude of different roles, I looked back at some of my personal learnings when putting this apprenticeship scheme together. 

“Visiting a factory where buses are being built, such as the Wrightbus facility in Ballymena, helps to give an understanding of how and why components are structured in a certain way, and seeing the bare interface between a body, chassis and driveline is an educational opportunity that I wish I had in my earlier years. 

“Our apprentices will benefit from the industry's best training throughout, building an engineering workforce with the capabilities to deal with the challenges ahead.”