First Bus East of England Opens Regional Learning Centre in Colchester
First Bus East of England, is proud to announce the opening of its Regional Learning Centre in Colchester. The centre, along with a hub located in Norwich, will enhance educational opportunities for First’s 1,900 employees located across the region.
This new centre is part of a groundbreaking learning agreement established in partnership with Unite the Union, designed to promote continuous learning and skill development for frontline employees across the UK.
The initiative, which is unique within the UK bus industry and also supported by RMT Union colleagues, ensures comprehensive access to vocational and non-vocational training. It forms part of a national rollout of six new learning centre hubs and six satellite sites, providing frontline staff with the tools they need to advance their careers and enhance the service provided to customers.
The scheme represents a significant investment by First Bus in its people and underscores the company’s commitment to employee growth and development. It also highlights First Bus’ dedication to working collaboratively with trade union colleagues to support workplace wellbeing and upskill staff.
Kevin Green, Chief People Officer at First Bus, commented: “We’re delighted to open the East of England Regional Learning Centre in Colchester, reinforcing our commitment to the development and success of our people. By working closely with Unite the Union, we are creating opportunities for our workforce to build new skills, progress in their careers, and enhance the service we provide to our communities in Colchester and across the East.
“Our people are at the heart of what we do, and this initiative demonstrates our ongoing investment in their futures, as well as our dedication to workplace wellbeing and lifelong learning.”
Scott Higgins, Chair of the National Joint Consultative Forum (NJCF), added: “The signing of the Learning Partnership Agreement was a significant step forward in August 2024 and a confirmation of the unique relationship between First Bus and Unite the Union in regard to education.
“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.”
Notes to editors
Image caption L-R: Scott Higgins, Chair of the National Joint Consultative Forum (NJCF), Kevin Green, Chief People Officer at First Bus, and Piers Marlow, Managing Director of First Bus East of England.
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/