Apprentice technician Lucy hopes to inspire others

A female apprentice technician at bus operator trentbarton is hoping her story will inspire other women to pursue a career in the industry.

Lucy Coope, who is 18 years old, joined trentbarton’s Derby depot at the start of a four-year apprenticeship.

By learning both on the job and at college, Lucy, who is from Derby, is being paid to train in all aspects of bus and coach repair and maintenance, including servicing, MOT preparation, working on vehicle components and electrical systems.

She said: “I used to work on cars with my dad when I was younger and always wanted to get my hands on bigger vehicles.

“So, I applied for the trentbarton apprenticeship and was really pleased to get in.

“The team at Derby is really good and there is lots of support.

“It’s a demanding job, both physically and mentally – if you take a part off a bus to repair it, you have to remember how to replace it.

“I love how every morning you don’t know what tasks will face you. And at the end of the day, you feel you have achieved.

“As a woman I’m treated equally at the depot. It feels normal to me as I grew up around boys.

“I would encourage other women to consider such a role. It would be great to get more women as technicians into the bus industry.

“And it’s good to see women in senior roles at trentbarton too. It shows that if we keep working hard, we can get on in our careers.”

John Bickerton, group engineering director at trentbarton, said: “I’m really pleased that we welcomed Lucy and it’s really important to me that she feels equal – we have room for everybody in our operations, workshops and on the road.

“Lucy is making an impression on the team just as much as she’s learning through her apprenticeship. I’m sure she has a bright future and a long career ahead with us.”

Trentbarton has said it will be recruiting more apprentice technicians this coming spring and the numbers in the 2023 intake will be uncapped for the first time.

Women and men interested in the trentbarton apprenticeship can find out more information here.