Train operator Lumo has announced that 95% of its workforce joined the company through an apprenticeship scheme.

The announcement comes as Lumo marks a five-year partnership with its apprenticeship provider, Train’d Up.

Among those recruited have been 16 drivers in one cohort and is the largest group of trainee drivers Train’d Up has seen during its 20 years of operation.

Lumo started its train service on the East Coast Main Line in 2021, but one year before that it entered a partnership with Train’d Up to give the local workforce new opportunities and the chance to train in new skills suitable for the rail industry.

To date, 78 of Lumo’s Customer Drivers and Customer Experience Ambassadors have successfully completed a range of training modules in the Train’d Up apprentice training scheme.

Another group of seven new recruits are in the process of undergoing customer ambassador training so that they will be ready to join Lumo this summer. 

Train’d Up designed the programme specifically for Lumo colleagues as an addition to their normal day-to-day roles.

Included in the programme is extra ICT training to make sure that colleagues have the necessary skills to advance as soon as they join Lumo and can quickly adapt to the digital future.

The success demonstrated by the partnership between Lumo and Train’d Up has resulted in Lumo’s sister company, Hull trains, requesting Train’d Up to support its apprenticeship programme.

Lumo operates greener and cheaper long-distance services with ten trains a day on the East Coast Main Line between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh Waverley, calling en route at Stevenage, Morpeth and Newcastle.

Further information about the company is online at www.lumo.co.uk

We take great pride in celebrating the fact nearly all Lumo colleagues have had the opportunity to train through our apprenticeship programme with Train’d Up.

This was a founding pillar as the company began the process with Train’d Up ahead of our launch back in 2020. It has remained a key part of our colleague development approach as we want to continuously ensure that as many local people as possible have the opportunity to join the rail industry, regardless of their previous skill set or background.

Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director of Lumo

Lumo really highlighted the importance of staff training from day one by working in tandem with us and developing their operational standards in line with our training standards.

An apprenticeship is a key step towards becoming a train driver in the UK as hands-on, situational experience is vital. Lumo is helping to give the local area the opportunity to join the rail industry and learn brand new skills all while earning.

Paul Daglish, Lead Learning Specialist at Train’d Up