Both industry leaders and the top bus and coach operators gathered at the British Motor Museum to celebrate the achievements of the 2024 cohort of the IRTE Skills Challenge.
Highlights:
- Over 150 guests gathered to celebrate the remarkable talent
- First Bus won the most awards with 3 winners and 3 runners-up
- Female leaders, Sharon Kindleysides, Secretary General, The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Laura Tofts, Head of Product Information and Training, Alexander Dennis, and Emma Thompson, Designate Executive Director of Society of Operations Engineers led keynotes
On July 11th, the British Motor Museum in Warwick hosted the 12th annual Skills Challenge awards lunch, gathering industry leaders for a day of celebration, networking and camaraderie. Hosted by Robin Bates, Membership Registration and Professional Standards Lead at the Society of Operations Engineers, the 12th edition of IRTE Skills Challenge welcomed over 150 guests made up of operators, managers, technicians, sponsors, regulators, press and supporters of Skills Challenge.
Backed by premium sponsors Alexander Dennis, Freeway Fleet Systems and VARTA, and long-term supporters Imperial Engineering and new prize sponsors BYD, this year’s event saw an increase in the number of operators and competitors who participated. We also saw an increase in the number of female competitors this year.
Female leaders on the future of bus and coach skills
During her welcome speech, Emma Thompson MSOE, Designate Executive Director at the Society of Operations Engineers, emphasised the importance of initiatives like the Skills Challenge for upskilling the bus and coach industry. She reflected on the success of this year’s event and hinted at exciting developments for next year’s challenges.
I had the immense pleasure to attend one of the testing days and the level of skill and passion I saw was awe inspiring. This year there was a new enthusiasm towards the Skills Challenge that we’ve not seen for quite some time.
Emma Thompson MSOE
Designate Executive Director, Society of Operations Engineers
Laura Tofts, Head of Product Information & Training from Premium Sponsor Alexander Dennis, delivered her keynote discussing Alexander Dennis’s plans to open more training centres to meet the increasing demand for upskilling.
We were also joined by Sharon Kindleysides, Secretary General at The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport to talk about the future of skills in bus and coach. Her keynote was an inspiring anecdote on the importance but also underappreciation of engineers and how celebrations like the IRTE skills challenge are crucial for the industry.
Sharon Kindleysides, Secretary General at The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport to talk about the future of skills in bus and coach.
Meet the winners and runners-up:
Bodywork Apprentice (sponsored by Alexander Dennis)
Winner: Thomas Moore, National Express
Runner-up: Ismaeel Jaffar, Metroline
Electric Driveline Apprentice (sponsored by Transport Engineer)
Winner: Neave Sproson, National Express
Runner-up: Benjamin Bark, Metroline
Electrical Apprentice (sponsored by VARTA by Clarios)
Winner: Diego Duran Cuadros, Go-Ahead
Runner-up: Neave Sproson, National Express
Mechanical Apprentice (sponsored by Imperial Engineering)
Winner: Wojciech Hernik, Lothian Buses
Runner-up: Daniel McBride-Harrow, Arriva
Mechelec (sponsored by Freeway)
Winner: Dylan Mullan-Barber, Trentbarton
Runner-up: Finlay Reed, First Bus
Outstanding Apprentice Team (in partnership with S&B Automotive Academy)
Winners: Diego Duran Cuadros, Myles Harding, Tiago Da-Silva (all from Go-Ahead)
DVSA Inspection Apprentice Award (in partnership with DVSA)
Winner: Laura Darbon, Metroline
Runner-up: Wojciech Hernik, Lothian Buses
DVSA Inspection Technician Award (in partnership with DVSA)
Winner: Charles John Burrows, Metroline
Runner-up: Dan Price, Stagecoach West
Bodywork Technician (sponsored by Alexander Dennis)
Winner: Hasan Girach, First Bus
Runner-up: Andrew Cairns, Lothian Buses
Electrical Technician (sponsored by VARTA by Clarios)
Winner: Craig Carter, Arriva
Runner-up: Peter Blake, RATP Dev (London United)
Electric Driveline Technician (in partnership with Route One)
Winner: Peter Blake, RATP Dev (London United)
Runner-up: Liam Blyth, First Bus
Mechanical Technician (sponsored by Freeway)
Winner: Morgan Bond, First Bus
Runner-up: Tim Bowman, Transdev Blazefield
Master Technician (sponsored by BYD)
Winner: Andy Knowles, First Bus
Runner-up: Stephen Price, First Bus
Outstanding Qualified Team (sponsored by IRTE Workshop Accreditation)
Winners: Dan Price, Craig Carter, Adam Wiggett (all from Stagecoach West)
The event concluded with the presentation of the final awards by members of the trustee board Caroline Harries and Ian Macdonald :
Philip Margrave Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement
Winner: Gerry Fleming, Go-Ahead
Judges' Choice
Winners: Hasan Girach, First Bus; Neave Sproson, National Express
Winners and runners up take the stage
Pre-lunch networking
Sponsers network before lunch
Competitors network before lunch
Celebrations all round
The 2024 IRTE Skills Challenge not only highlighted the exceptional talents within the bus and coach industry but also underscored the importance of continuous professional development and industry collaboration.
With inspiring speeches, well-deserved recognitions, and the promise of even more innovative challenges next year, the event successfully celebrated the achievements of the present while paving the way for future advancements.
Congratulations to all the winners, runners-up, and participants for their outstanding contributions to the industry. We look forward to seeing the incredible progress and innovations that the 2025 IRTE Skills Challenge will undoubtedly bring.
View the Skills Challenge past winners here