Business

Wrightbus seeking to recruit 25 more staff

Wrightbus is taking on another 25 trainees as part of its wider ambition to recruit 300 additional staff this year in response to new bus orders from across the UK and Ireland
Wrightbus is taking on another 25 trainees as part of its wider ambition to recruit 300 additional staff this year in response to new bus orders from across the UK and Ireland Wrightbus is taking on another 25 trainees as part of its wider ambition to recruit 300 additional staff this year in response to new bus orders from across the UK and Ireland
By Gary McDonald Business Editor

BALLYMENA bus manufacturer Wrightbus is bidding to recruit 25 trainees in a range of roles from HR and logistics to IT, coach building and sales.

The traineeships are being offered through JobStart, a scheme run by the Department for Communities.

It is designed to help those aged 16-24 who are at risk of long term unemployment to enter the job market by offering six month job opportunities with a range of employers, in all sectors across Northern Ireland.

It is also part of a wider ambition to take on 300 additional staff after Wrightbus revealed in December that its production levels would double in 2022 amid a major shift in output to zero-emission vehicles.

The company expects to produce 600 buses this year - nearly twice as many as came off the production line in 2021.

Nicola McCloskey, director of human resources at Wrightbus, said it was important for the company to support the community.

“We wanted to be part of this initiative to support young people in our community who are finding it difficult to find employment, through various challenges that they may be facing.

“We know there is a fantastic workforce in Ballymena and the surrounding area, and sometimes people just need a break.

“At Wrightbus, we are confident we have a wealth of knowledge within our current workforce which means we are perfectly equipped to support these trainee roles.”

She added: “Hopefully, at the end of the six months, the trainees will be able to secure permanent employment with us, which is a win for them and a win for us.”

Production lines at Wrightbus are shifting from 70 per cent diesel vehicles last year to 70 per cent zero-emission buses in 2022.

The vehicles developed by Wrightbus include the world’s first hydrogen double decker bus – the Streetdeck Hydroliner, and the Electroliner, described by the manufacturer as the fastest-charging EV (electric vehicle) double decker on the market.

The Department for Infrastructure has already placed orders worth £104 million with Wrightbus for electric and hydrogen fuelled buses to be used by Translink.