Apprenticeships with First Bus

About the course

Want to be part of something big? A First Bus apprenticeship is your chance to train with one of the UK’s top transport companies, gaining the skills, confidence and experience to drive your career forward — literally.

Over an action-packed 13-month programme, you’ll take part in a unique blend of hands-on, practical training and structured off-the-job learning. You’ll build the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to thrive as a professional bus driver in a fast-moving, people-focused industry.

Is this course right for you?

All you need to start is a full UK driving licence for at least 6 months (and a maximum of 6 penalty points) and you could find yourself in one of our training academies learning to drive a bus. With the chance to drive our new electric buses, you’ll find our fleet easier to handle then you’d think. We know that working to pass any test can be a challenge, so we’ll give you every opportunity to succeed to become PCV qualified.

What you’ll learn

This 13-month programme will give you the core skills needed to thrive in your role as a bus driver for First Bus.

You will learn:

• How to safely and competently drive a passenger carrying vehicle
• Routes and route features including restrictions
• Safe working practices
• Emergency and hazard management
• Customer service skills
• British values, equality & diversity, accessibility & self-development.

If you don’t have level 1 qualifications in English and maths, you will need to achieve this as part of your apprenticeship. Don’t worry though, our dedicated team will be on hand to support you with this.

How you’ll learn

Our expert staff will support you to achieve the apprenticeship. We have highly skilled and knowledgeable staff with significant experience of working in the industry who will be able to share their experiences and support you.

Typically, you will have:

- A dedicated trainer providing ongoing training, guidance and support
- Practical assessments and on-bus observations, including in a depot environment
- Workshops sessions delivered at a local depot or remotely via Zoom
- 24/7 access to a range of online learning materials and resources
- Support from your employer to fulfil the requirements of the programme
- Progress reviews, including a pre-gateway and final gateway review before end point assessment
- End point assessment preparation and support ensuring you’re ready to progress
- Support from English/Maths Tutors if required