National Apprentice Week: Former pilot from Worthing tells how an apprenticeship he started aged 65 helped him become a bus driver

A 65-year-old Worthing bus driver has told how an apprenticeship helped him return to the transport industry after serving 30 years as a pilot.
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Ralph Turtle started his passenger transport bus driver apprenticeship at the age of 65 and having secured his Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) licence last year, he is now transporting passengers on journeys from Worthing to Littlehampton, Brighton and Midhurst.

Having previous served in the Navy, Ralph swapped the cockpit for the driver’s cab after a long career as a pilot due to Flybe collapsing at the start of the pandemic.

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He spent a year working in Tesco in 2020 but after three decades of flying, he knew transport was his destiny.

Ralph Turtle is now working for Stagecoach, based at the Worthing depotRalph Turtle is now working for Stagecoach, based at the Worthing depot
Ralph Turtle is now working for Stagecoach, based at the Worthing depot
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Ralph said: “I love any mode of transport and meeting different people so driving buses is the perfect job for me.

“To some people, it may seem a little strange starting an apprenticeship and a new career at the age of 65 but I’ve always been someone who loves to learn around my job.

“The apprenticeship has been a really enjoyable experience and the team have been fantastic in delivering the different elements.

Ralph Turtle was a pilot for 30 years before Flybe collapsed at the start of the pandemicRalph Turtle was a pilot for 30 years before Flybe collapsed at the start of the pandemic
Ralph Turtle was a pilot for 30 years before Flybe collapsed at the start of the pandemic
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“There’s so much more to the apprenticeship than simply driving the bus, such as customer service, route planning and much more.”

The level two apprenticeship is delivered by leading UK training provider Realise in partnership with Stagecoach.

Ralph said: “All of the trainers have been bus drivers themselves in the past so they are able to deliver the sessions through their real life experiences which is invaluable.

“I loved my job as a pilot but I’m also getting a huge amount of satisfaction on the buses. There are similarities between the aeroplane and the bus because the main job with both is to get people safely from A to B.

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“We are fortunate to have some varied and lovely bus routes in and around Worthing and the people make it an extremely satisfying job.

“Meeting and dealing with new people every day gives me a great buzz.”

Stagecoach currently employs more than 1,000 apprentices, its highest number yet as it marks National Apprentice Week. Roles include driving, engineering, HR and learning and development, with apprentices ranging in age and experience.

It was the first public transport organisation to offer a flagship driver apprenticeship scheme as well as an industry-leading engineering apprenticeship programme.

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Martin Griffiths, Stagecoach chief executive said: “Apprenticeships are critical to our future workforce and an area that Stagecoach has invested in for many years.

“As we mark National Apprenticeship Week, it’s vital that we all play our part in helping the country to re-build and help people to kick start their careers and our apprenticeship programmes offer something for everyone.”

CLICK HERE to find out how the new OneStop Youth Employment Hub in Worthing is offering focused support for young people during National Apprenticeship Week