Having recently become an accredited irtec (Institute of Road Transport Engineers Certification) assessment centre, First, the UK’s largest bus company in the UK, has begun testing and licensing all of its vehicle examiners as part a process which it believes will help further drive up standards of engineering at its depots around the UK.
At present it is thought First is the only major bus operator in the UK to be roll out the irtec licensing scheme to all its vehicle examiners on a national scale, investing in its workforce and simultaneously taking steps to make its business even more efficient. The scheme is being delivered in association with the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), the Freight Transport Association (FTA) and local colleges.
First currently employs around 350 vehicle examiners in the UK whose job it is to carry out the important 28 day inspections on the companies 8,000 strong bus fleet. It is considered that while these employees are, without a doubt, talented engineers with, in many cases, many years of experience under their belt, continuous advances in technology means there is always something new to learn. As such First has taken all of its existing vehicle examiners through an assessment process utilising the skills of the FTA, testing their knowledge and ability to diagnose the underlying engineering problems that cause repetitive issues or breakdowns. First is now embarking on an intense two week training programme for these employees to ensure they have the skills and knowledge required for the future. Those that pass the training are then being taken through the irtec Inspection Technician license, with a handful of others being taken through the next stage, irtec Advanced Technician license, too.
At present 13 vehicle examiners from depots in Bristol, Somerset, South Wales, North Devon, and East England have achieved irtec Inspection Technician status (the second of four stages) with three others gaining irtec Advanced Technician status (the third stage).
While normally only given to those with at least three year’s experience, or those who have both gained NVQ Level 3 and a year’s experience in industry, Joe Vorley from North Devon - one of the company’s talented apprentice mechanics - has also managed to gain an Inspection Technician license, despite having only just finished the third year of his apprenticeship. Joe has excelled during his apprenticeship – which has been delivered in partnership with the City of Bristol College. He continues to work for First and over time is expected to progress even further within the company.
The cost of taking all of its vehicle examiners through the irtec licensing process is being met by First. Graham Belgum, Business Improvement Director for First, explains the rationale behind the project: “As a company we strive to be the best we can be, and this scheme is particularly good as it delivers real and tangible benefits for both the company and the individuals concerned. Notably it provides external trade body recognition of a technician’s skills and experience, for which they and their depot can be proud. In addition through assessment against the standard it also allows us to identify, and then address, any gaps in an individual's skills and knowledge. By addressing any weaknesses we can then improve our skill base, making sure that we’re operating as efficiently as possible, identifying and addressing the underlying problems with our vehicles that cause persistent breakdowns and which ultimately cost us money through increased maintenance costs and lost mileage.
“We hope to have taken all our vehicle examiners through this process by April 2012.”
In addition to taking a number of its staff through the irtec licensing process First is also investing in its workforce by encouraging a number of its top engineers to work towards Chartered Engineer Status (CEng) – one of the most internationally recognised engineering qualifications.