A YORK bus company is on a recruitment campaign for drivers as passenger levels recover following the pandemic.

First York is also promoting opportunities with the company as part of International Women's Day.

Jo Pakosz, who came to York in search of work, is among those who has risen up the ranks at First York since joining in 2007.

Jo, 42, who trained as an accountant in Poland, has been promoted to staff manager, responsible for managing the performance of drivers, reporting on service, and supporting recruitment and personal development.

Jo started in customer service and trained to be a driver in 2012, later becoming a ‘buddy driver’ supporting new starters at its training school and acting as a learning representative for the Unite union.

“I’ve taken little steps to get to this stage and the knowledge from different roles related to being a driver will really help.

“The thing I learned early on in the bus industry is that no day is the same, there are always challenges and you never know what might happen.

“If someone had told me before I came to the UK that I would be driving buses I would never have believed them, but I’ve never regretted making that choice."

First York is building back its staffing to support services as bus passenger levels rise with growing leisure travel and people returning to workplaces.

Jo works with the contracts manager Andy Hayes who joined as a driver following a successful career in the Army.

He is among many in First York to make the transition from military to civilian life through bus driving and now leads all operational activity on park and ride, university and hospital services.

Jo, 42, who trained as an accountant in Poland and joined the bus operator in 2007, said: “I’ve taken little steps to get to this stage and the knowledge from different roles related to being a driver will really help.

“The thing I learned early on in the bus industry is that no day is the same, there are always challenges and you never know what might happen.”

She started in customer service and trained to be a driver in 2012, later becoming a ‘buddy driver’ supporting new starters at its training school and acting as a learning representative for the Unite union.

First York is currently underway with a driver recruitment campaign to build back its staffing to support services as bus passenger levels recover with growing leisure travel and people returning to workplaces following the pandemic.

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