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First Bus scoops seven awards at the IRTE Bus & Coach Skills Challenge

First Bus has topped the tables at this year’s IRTE Bus & Coach Skills Challenge – becoming the most successful operator at the event.

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Scooping the top prize in the Bodywork Technician, Mechanical Technician and Master Technician categories, First Bus also took home three runners-up awards alongside the Judges’ Choice award.

The IRTE Bus & Coach Skills Challenge is an annual competition organised by the Society of Operations Engineers, in which qualified and apprentice PSV engineers compete in a series of electrical, mechanical and bodywork challenges.

Not only is the challenge an excellent opportunity for engineers to showcase their skills and knowledge, but it also helps raise the standards of the industry and develop the next generation of engineers.

The winners and runners-up from First Bus were:

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  • Bodywork Technician Winner: Hasan Girach
  • Mechanical Technician Winner: Morgan Bond
  • Master Technician Winner: Andy Knowles
  • Judges' Choice Winner: Hasan Girach
  • Mechelec Runner-Up: Finlay Reed
  • Electric Driveline Technician Runner-Up: Liam Blyth
  • Master Technician Runner-Up: Stephen Price

Heath Halle, Engineering Training Manager at First Bus, said: “We always encourage our qualified and apprentice engineers to take part in the IRTE Skills Challenge as it’s a fantastic way for them to push themselves, acquire new skills and improve the ones they already have. We’re immensely proud of Team First Bus for taking home seven awards this year, and it’s been great seeing the dedication of those who came runner-up last year push forward and win their category this year.”

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Hasan Girach, Bodywork Technician at First Bus, said: “I’d recommend everyone to take part in the challenge, not only because it gives you an opportunity to enhance your skillset, but you also get to meet new people. Winning two awards now that I'm qualified has been really humbling, especially as I came runner-up last year when I was an apprentice. My one bit of advice is to take on every opportunity you get and make the absolute most of it.”

For full details of all the winners, click here.

Notes to editors

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 a million customers a day. We serve over 20% of the population of Great Britain with our local bus services, and over half of the UK’s top 15 most populated urban areas.

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.

We’re all about making journeys easier for our customers, which is why we were the first national bus operator to roll out Tap On, Tap Off payment technology across our entire fleet of around 4,500 buses. Our First Bus app has also been voted ‘best in class’ amongst UK bus operators. 

First Bus is committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035. We already operate over 600 zero-emission buses – that’s 14% of our overall fleet.

We’re passionate about giving back to the communities we serve, which is why we’re helping local businesses to progress their own decarbonisation journeys – giving them access to our charging hubs while our buses are on the road.

We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland, Specialist Passenger Solutions, First Travel Solutions, York Pullman Bus Company and Ensignbus. First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.  

Find more information on our website here: https://news.firstbus.co.uk/