Member Article

Fitting move! Kenny steps up as Gordon retires

An apprentice fitter from Thorney Close in Sunderland has taken a step up the career ladder after a veteran fitter of 38 years retired from Stagecoach North East’s Slatyford depot.

Over the past three and a half years, twenty-year old Kenny Kelly has trained as an apprentice fitter for the local bus operator at the bus depot in Slatyford. After hearing about the retirement of fitter Gordon Scott, he saw the opportunity for progression and is now delighted to be accepted for the role.

Although Kenny will complete his apprenticeship in June, he begins his new job straight away and is looking forward to the challenges it brings.

“Working with vehicles, being hands on and using my practical skills has always interested me, which is why I joined Stagecoach North East as an apprentice fitter straight from school. As soon as the role was offered to me, I snapped their hands off at the opportunity! The team are also great and make the job really enjoyable.”

Kenny is currently studying for his City & Guilds Level 2 in Heavy Vehicles at Gateshead College to complement his on the job learning.

Gordon, from Byker in Newcastle, began his career in 1977 at the Byker bus depot, before moving to the Slatyford depot in 1995. After a career spanning almost 40 years in the vehicle service and repair industry, Gordon is looking forward to hanging up his toolkit and spending more time relaxing with friends.

After a traditional send off from colleagues and managers, Gordon said: “It is sad to say goodbye, as it is the people and the work I will miss the most but I will be glad to see the back of my alarm clock! The people are great though, a really lovely bunch. They’ve been a pleasure to work with and I’ve made some good friends along the way.

Gary Chisholm, Engineering Director for Stagecoach North East, said: “Gordon has been a real asset to Stagecoach North East over the years, an invaluable member of the team and popular with colleagues and management alike. There’s no doubt he’s going to be missed and we wish him all the best and hope he enjoys his retirement.

“Looking forward, we are very pleased to welcome Kenny to the team at Slatyford. He has shown great promise and enthusiasm during his time with the company and we wish him the best of luck in his career development. The apprenticeship scheme demonstrates Stagecoach’s commitment to working with and developing fresh talent, which culminates in a bright future with us.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kathryn Clapham .