Written evidence submitted by Wrightbus (STM0015)
This document contains written evidence from Wrightbus following the Transport Select Committee’s call for evidence into its inquiry on ‘Skills for transport manufacturing’.
About Wrightbus
Wrightbus, based in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, is Europe’s fastest-growing bus manufacturer. Since Jo Bamford acquired the business in 2019, we have grown from a team of 50 to 2,300. Much of this growth is due to our focus on engineering and production of the best zero emission buses on the global market, including the first hydrogen double-decker bus to enter service in the world. We have contributed over £1.5bn to the UK economy. Every job at Wrightbus creates three more in the supply chain, and we are committed to addressing the issue of underemployment in Northern Ireland.
Since 2023, we have doubled apprenticeships year-on-year. Between 2023 and 2024, we increased our numbers from 30 apprentices to 60 and doubled this again to 120 in 2025. Our extraordinary growth brings with it skills and recruitment opportunities and challenges, making us well placed to provide evidence to the committee’s inquiry. In 2025 alone, Wrightbus has conducted:
We have also run recruitment drives focusing on diversity and inclusion, partnering with organisations such as NOW to reach underrepresented groups – including neurodiverse individuals or veterans – and supporting them into the workplace.
Wrightbus is submitting evidence to this inquiry in our capacity as a major employer in the transport manufacturing sector, not only in our local constituency of North Antrim, but also across adjacent constituencies, our Oxford factory, and more widely across our UK supply chain that includes businesses from 47 counties.
Inquiry response
Response: In our experience, the main skills facing bus manufacturers overlap significantly between manufacturers in different transport sectors, and across manufacturing industries. The key skills that we need to support our fast-growing business are engineering trades such as mechanical assembly, welding, and electrical engineering. Our apprenticeship programme offers Level 3 Diplomas in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, which covers all these skills.
We know that these skills and qualifications are in high demand – and short supply – not only across the transport sector, but also across the manufacturing industry more generally.
Response: Wrightbus works closely with schools, colleges, and local councils to recruit apprentices and build a pipeline of new workers. We have developed strong relationships at the local level, particularly with schools and colleges, who have been highly supportive. While generally effective, this pipeline has some limitations. Most apprenticeship applicants come from the immediate local area, which is expected but limits our reach. Recruiting from further afield is challenging, as many young people (e.g. 16-year-olds) lack the transport options to travel long distances for work. This reduces the pool of prospective apprentices. Furthermore, more work is needed to promote apprenticeships as a valuable and attractive alternative to continuing in school-based education.
Recommendations:
Response: As a manufacturer of zero-emission vehicles, Wrightbus requires specialist expertise in electrification, battery systems, and hydrogen technology. This means upskilling employees in areas such as electrification and battery integration. Traditional mechanical and coachbuilding skills remain important, but electrical and electronic competencies are increasingly critical.
The main challenge we face is balancing training with production demands. Training staff inevitably disrupts workflow, so we must deliver training with minimal impact on production.
Cost is another major barrier. As a large employer, Wrightbus is often excluded from certain public funding streams, making it harder to offset training costs through colleges or government schemes. This creates an ongoing tension between maintaining output and investing in future skills.
As outlined above, Wrightbus also experiences shortages in skilled trades such as welders, electricians, joiners, fitters, plumbers, and coachbuilders. These skills are in high demand across transport manufacturing and the wider manufacturing industry, but in short supply. We have sought to address these issues ourselves, including by innovating with our recruitment and entry programmes. For instance, we run week-long workshops for individuals with no formal qualifications, but who may have transferable skills which would be applicable in key trades. We have also opened recruitment to cover a wider range of qualifications, for example by recruiting ‘electricians’ helpers’, who support fully qualified electricians while gaining on-the-job training, opening a pathway to further qualifications.
Recommendations:
Response: There is a clear need for stronger cross-departmental co-ordination in government regarding the decarbonisation agenda, particularly in developing the skills required to deliver net zero. The skills we need — such as hydrogen expertise — are also in demand across other industries in the hydrogen value chain.
We also face shortages in trades such as welding, fabrication, and electrical work, which overlap heavily with other industries’ needs. This will become more challenging as the UK transitions to a decarbonised transport system. While there are examples of effective cross-government collaboration on specific initiatives, a broader and more strategic approach is required.
By contrast, our experience with local authorities has been extremely positive. We have developed strong, productive relationships that directly support our skills needs.
Recommendations:
Response: The Modern Industrial Strategy, although it mentions Northern Ireland and the devolved administrations, remains heavily England-focused. As a UK company based in Northern Ireland, there is a pressing need for stronger co-operation, collaboration, and transparency across the devolved nations, and an industrial strategy which treats the “UK Plc” as a whole, rather than piecemeal.
Apprenticeships are a clear example of this disjointedness. In Northern Ireland, apprenticeship funding is only available to residents. However, skills shortages mean we sometimes recruit apprentices from other UK regions — but in doing so, we cannot access funding.
We strongly support measures outlined in the Advanced Manufacturing Plan, such as the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel and funding for local leaders to decarbonise bus fleets. However, we have yet to see clear delivery plans or detail on how this will be implemented in practice. We strongly recommend that further emphasis is put on supporting UK-based manufacturers and have included further detail on this in our response to the next question.
Recommendations:
Response: As outlined above, to grow employment in transport manufacturing in the UK, it is essential to ensure that our UK businesses remain competitive, and we shore up the UK’s manufacturing base overall. To deliver this, we are calling on the Government to ensure that only UK manufacturers qualify for future Department for Transport (DfT) funding for zero-emission buses. The Government should take active policy steps to prevent councils from buying buses made outside of the UK with taxpayer funds. This would mean changing public procurement rules to put a greater weighting on UK content, or placing a greater emphasis on social value, including economic growth and job creation/retention. Simply put, if we don’t receive orders then we cannot remain competitive, thrive as a business, and grow employment in the UK.
As part of the UK’s bus manufacturing industry, Wrightbus shows the need for social value criteria to be adjusted and enforced. Since Jo Bamford acquired the business in 2019, it has grown from 50 to nearly 2,300 direct employees. Wrightbus has contributed over £1.5bn to the UK economy and supports over 7,500 UK supply chain jobs, with every job at Wrightbus creating 3 more in the supply chain. These are skilled jobs, with average salaries at least 20% higher than vehicle import or distribution roles. Prioritising UK manufacturers will encourage investment, expand export opportunities, and boost domestic growth. Wrightbus is investing £25m in UK R&D; developing electric trucks and hydrogen coaches; and expanding exports after deals in Germany and Australia.
Recommendations:
September 2025