National Express to create 1,700 new Midlands jobs

National Express today announced it will recruit 1,700 people in the West Midlands over the next three years.

A new academy giving employees the chance to get qualifications in driver training, literacy and numeracy was also announced by the company. A total of 125 new jobs will be created there.

Other jobs will be recruited to replace roles that become free when workers retire.

The company, which runs bus services and the Midland Metro, today launched a recruitment drive alongside JobCentre Plus encouraging more younger people and more women to sign up.

National Express managing director Peter Coates said the roles would include bus drivers as well as new route managers, who will be responsible for improving the punctuality and reliability of services.

"There are a lot of people looking for jobs across the West Midlands at present and I am delighted to launch this new agreement," he said.

Mr Coates was signing off the Routes to Work agreement in a meeting with Minister of Work and Pensions, MP Chris Grayling, in Birmingham today. The new academy will also be agreed.

National Express currently employs more than 5,400 staff at its nine garages across the Black Country, Birmingham and Coventry.

Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden today said: "This is excellent. Given the level of unemployment in the Black Country and West Midlands as a whole any new jobs opening up is great news," he said.

National Express West Midlands took on 420 bus drivers over the last year out of 4,500 applicants but still had spaces to fill.

They blamed the failure rate on applicants having points on their driving licences.

By Charlotte Cross

See also: Midlands jobs search