Steering the future of skills in bus and coach engineering

From the pioneering organisation behind the irtec and workshop accreditation schemes recognised as THE sector standards, IRTE brings you the 12th annual Bus and Coach Skills Challenge in Summer to celebrate the best in road transport engineering. Enter now

Led by the vision to empower and equip the next generation of bus and coach technicians by providing challenging opportunities to test and advance their skills, IRTE Bus & Coach Skills Challenge 2024 is on the search for the next generation of ambitious PSV engineers, technicians and apprentices from across the nation.  

Whether you are a small, medium or large bus and/or coach operator, we’d like to invite you to put your teams forward to this award-winning, DVSA-backed initiative. This year's challenge will take place at S&B Automotive Academy in Bristol on 3 -7 June 2024 followed by an awards ceremony in July 2024 where the winners will be crowned.  

Since its inception, the IRTE Skills Challenge has welcomed over 650 competitors, and their respective managers. The initiative was recognised by Carmen Guild by awarding it The Carmen’s Herbert Crow Award in 2017 for its role in promoting the technical ability and hard work of individuals and teams from all over the UK and abroad. 

We’re redefining the future of Skills Challenge.  

As we celebrate our 12th anniversary, we are shaking up the way we conduct the competition. We are challenging the status quo. This entails more focus on new technology, diversity in competitors as well as support from new interest groups.  

To guide us through our new vision, we have set our focus on three key goals for the initiative this year:  

  • Encourage greater diversity in competitors including increased female participation. 
  • Bring pressing safety and skills topics impacting the bus and coach profession into the spotlight 
  • Provide early new technology access and feedback opportunities for the technicians. 

So, when you’re signing up to the Skills Challenge, you are becoming part of a bigger movement to support the wider engineering landscape.  

Sign up now

Interested in participating in the next Skills Challenge?

Fill in the form below and let us guide you through the process of entering your teams in the annual challenge to see who is the best in the bus and coach industry



 


Skills Challenge news

Alexander Dennis Takes the Wheel as Premium Sponsor for 2024 IRTE Bus & Coach Skills Challenge

Alexander Dennis, the world’s largest manufacturer of double-deck and lightweight buses, and the leading manufacturer of buses and coaches in the United Kingdom, has returned as a premium sponsor for the 2024 edition of the IRTE Bus and Coach Skills Challenge.

Freeway joins the 12th IRTE Bus & Coach Skills Challenge as a technology partner

The IRTE Bus and Coach Skills Challenge is a platform that showcases the finest talents and expertise in the bus and coach industry, promoting safety, efficiency, and excellence.

Unlocking Excellence: Former Skills Challenge Winner Craig Perkins breaks down the significance and success of engineering apprenticeships

Craig Perkins boasts over 16 years of experience in the engineering industry. His career, which commenced as an Engineering Apprentice at National Express, has provided him with valuable first-hand insights into the industry from both apprentice and managerial perspectives.

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