TWO workers are looking forward to engineering careers thanks to a bus company apprenticeship scheme.

Charlie Marshall and Joe Cowell have been taken on by Stagecoach North East at its Teesside depot.

Bosses say the pair will learn all aspects of vehicle maintenance, including preparing buses for the road, conducting MOTs and making repairs.

Mr Marshall, 16, from Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, will qualify as a mechanic at the end of his course.

He said: “The course is really practical, which is something I enjoy.

“Straight away it has been very hands on, servicing buses, and as I’m the first in my family to study engineering, they are very proud.”

Joe Cowell, 22, from Linthorpe, in Middlesbrough, previously studied welding, but revealed he is looking forward to developing his career.

Gary Chisholm, Stagecoach North East’s engineering director, added: “We are committed to developing our staff, and offering apprenticeship opportunities is a great way to bring young people into the company and nurture their skills from the outset of their professional career.

“The four-year course gives all our apprentices the opportunity to train while earning and we find once qualified our trainees remain with the company for most if not all of their working life.”

Stagecoach is one of the largest bus operators in the North-East, and employs more than 1,600 people across the region.