First Bus and Unite the Union establish groundbreaking learning hub in West Yorkshire
- New centre to enhance educational opportunities for 2,000 frontline employees
- Facilities open to colleagues in West Yorkshire and York
- Support from satellite centre in Halifax
First Bus, one of the UK’s leading bus operators, today announces the opening of a new learning centre in West Yorkshire, delivering on a groundbreaking agreement, established in partnership with Unite the Union.
The partnership, which is unique within the UK bus industry, will promote continuous learning and skill development for 2,000 frontline employees across the region as well as colleagues in York.
The learning centre hub, one of 12 planned nationally, is based at its Bramley depot together with a satellite centre at the Halifax depot. These will ensure comprehensive access to vocational and non-vocational training for all frontline staff of the North & West Yorkshire operating business.
The scheme represents a significant investment by First Bus in its people and demonstrates it commitment to employee growth and development.
The learning agreement further showcases First Bus’s dedication to working collaboratively with colleagues across trade unions to support workplace wellbeing. Alongside this, the collaboration equips staff with new skills to advance their careers and improve service for customers.
Cllr Adele Rae, a member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, joined senior directors from First Bus North and West Yorkshire and national and regional leaders from Unite to open the centre.
Cllr Rae, in whose ward the Bramley depot is based, said: “I was delighted to visit the new First Bus Learning Centre at the Bramley Depot. As a passionate believer in the benefits of lifelong learning I know, from personal experience, how it can help individuals to grow, adapt, and succeed.
“For businesses, it drives innovation, boosts productivity, and creates an environment where everyone feels inspired to thrive."
Andrew Cullen, Managing Director of First Bus North & West Yorkshire, said: “We’re delighted to open our new learning centre in collaboration with Unite the Union. This initiative continues to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to our people, whilst supporting the local communities we serve.
“We’re pleased to be working with the trade unions to champion workforce wellbeing, as well as enhancing accessibility and opportunities through inclusive learning.”
Dave Pugh, National Education Co-ordinator for Unite, added: “Education is the foundation of our Trade Union movement as it provides the means for our members to establish a clear understanding and embrace ever-changing technologies.
“We are proud to work together with an employer who recognises the value and worth of its employees. First Bus is prepared to invest heavily not just financially but also providing the means and support for individual progression within our industry.”
The rollout of the new programme is part of First Bus’s ongoing transformation journey, as the business continues to inspire a nation to love and use the bus.
Picture captions:
RLC_1: Cllr Rae and Michael Halsworth, Regional Learning Co-ordinator at First Bus open the centre with Dave Pugh (right) and Trevor Booth, Unite Branch Secretary for Halifax.
RLC_2: Cllr Rae with (centre) Michael Halsworth, Regional Learning Co-ordinator at First Bus and Dave Pugh inside the centre with users trialling its online resources.
ENDS
Notes to editors
About First Bus
At First Bus, we’re on a mission to grow bus usage – so we’ll get behind initiatives that move people out of cars and onto the bus.
We’re one of the UK’s largest bus operators, transporting more than 1.5 million passengers a day. Our local bus services serve more than 25% of the population of Great Britain and over half of the UK’s top 15 most populated urban areas.
We are a leading operator in the majority of our local areas, including major urban centres such as Glasgow, Bristol and Leeds.
We have proudly launched our First Bus London operation and now operate 83 routes in west and central London from 10 garages serving 180 million passengers annually.
The combined operation now manages a fleet of over 5,750 buses across the UK.
Transforming our business for the better, we’re putting our people and customers at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we’re the UK’s largest national bus operator to achieve real Living Wage employer status, cementing our position as an employer of choice in the sector.
First Bus is committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035. We will have over 1000 zero-emission buses in operation across our UK fleet by the end of 2025.
We’re passionate about giving back to the communities we serve, which is why we’re helping local businesses to progress their decarbonisation journeys – giving them access to our charging hubs while our buses are on the road.
We also operate, Specialist Passenger Solutions, First Travel Solutions, York Pullman Bus Company, Lakeside, Ensignbus, Anderson Travel - and the Aircoach network and Matthews in Ireland.
First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.
Find more information on our website here: https://news.firstbus.co.uk/