Transport for Wales (TfW) has won a prestigious award, gaining praise for its new train driver apprenticeship programme.

The public, not-for-profit body recently received the Larger Employer of the Year award at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2024.

Since it was created over five years ago, TfW has recruited more than three hundred apprentices and currently employs 189.

Last year, it signed up 122 new apprentices in engineering, operational and head office roles.

TfW’s programme provides work-based learning across twelve areas of the business, providing employment opportunities for local communities.

TfW’s hundreds of apprentices help to improve the operator’s performance and support sustainability.

As part of the train driver apprenticeship programme, in 2021 TfW partnered with Coleg y Cymoedd (College of the Valleys) to introduce the UK’s first level three driver diploma, aiming to encourage new recruits to the rail industry from diverse backgrounds.

Coleg y Cymoedd formed in 2013, from the merger of The College Ystrad Mynach and Coleg Morgannwg.

It has over ten thousand students at its sites in Aberdare, Nantgarw, Rhondda (Llwynypia) and Ystrad Mynach, and its Business Services team works with more than eight hundred employers to provide a wide range of Apprenticeship and Bespoke Commercial Training packages.

“We’re extremely proud of our teams who have delivered our apprenticeship programme and this award provides them with the recognition they deserve and of course, highlights the work of our wonderful apprentices.

“TfW is a not-for-profit and we’re fully aligned with the Well-being of Future Generations Act (2015) and this award shows our commitment to providing opportunities for people in Wales from diverse backgrounds.

“We’re on a journey to transform public transport in Wales and through doing this we want to offer employment opportunities to people in the areas that we serve.

“We’re continuing to evolve in this space and are targeting 150 apprentices per year over the next three or four years.”

Marie Daly, Chief Customer and Culture Officer