Chantal Pye, one of the team of drivers at Morebus.
Published: March 20, 2022 | Updated: 20th March 2022
Over 50s women invited to retrain as bus drivers
Morebus is responding to news that women over 50 have suffered post-pandemic unemployment issues more than most.
The bus operator is offering them the chance to re-train as bus drivers.
It’s looking to recruit drivers to operate services across the region.
Nikki Honer, pictured left, Morebus Head of Communications, said: “Recent reports suggest that women who are over 50 are among the largest group to have left the labour market during the pandemic.
“There are a number of reasons behind this – some were made redundant, some just didn’t return to work after being furloughed and others may have had caring responsibilities.
“Whatever the reasons, now is an excellent time to think about a return to work.
“Morebus is ready and waiting to provide training and an excellent working environment for those wishing to try something new.
“We offer flexible hours – with three day weeks available for those who wish to work part-time. Full time roles are also on offer.
“We are especially on the look-out for anyone with excellent customer service skills to come and join us – and I have no doubt there are plenty of candidates who fit the bill here in Dorset.
“Morebus is keen to hear from anyone over 18, regardless of age and gender, who thinks a career within the bus industry is for them.
“It doesn’t matter if people haven’t driven a bus before – we just want to see if they have the aptitude – and then we’ll do the rest.”
Successful applicants will receive full training, uniform and free travel for themselves and a nominee.
The average weekly take home salary for a Morebus driver is £430.
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Christchurch Rugby Club Women’s Team show support for hospice
Christchurch Rugby Club Women’s Team have shown their support for their local hospice.
They’ve included the bright sunflower logo of Lewis-Manning Hospice Care on their new kit.
Club President David McDonald, pictured with the team and who is also a Trustee at the hospice, said: “I’m delighted that our women’s team decided to make Lewis-Manning Hospice Care their Charity of the Year for this season.
“There will be ongoing fundraising activities taking place, involving the whole Christchurch Rugby Club community.”
Bekki Lancaster, Team Captain, said: “It seemed really fitting to mark our charity partnership by having the logo on our shirts.
“It’s an excellent way to spread the word about the amazing work that the charity does in the community, supporting patients and their loved ones with life limiting illnesses.”
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Agritech innovation showcased at One Health 2022 conference
Building stronger links between business leaders and scientists to ensure more sustainable farming and food production was the key driver of a national conference held in Dorset.
Hosted by Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Kingston Maurward College near Dorchester, One Health 2022 brought more than 60 senior decision makers from academia, industry, and government together for a day of advice, knowledge sharing and planning.
One Health is a globally recognised term that describes the interdependence between the health of humans, animals, plants and natural ecosystems.
It formed the basis for the day’s agenda which explored how this can inform innovation in the rapidly growing field of agricultural technology, or agritech.
Dorset LEP Chair Cecilia Bufton with (right) Luke Rake, Dorset LEP Board member and Principal and Chief Executive of Kingston Maurward College, and Professor Mick Fuller of the University of Plymouth.
The conference saw the launch of a one-year programme, the One Health Nucleus Pilot, designed to offer a formal structure of wraparound support for businesses already in, or seeking to, develop projects and ideas related to the One Health agenda.
Next steps in the development of agritech across the South West also formed part of discussions, including how businesses involved in activities such as aquaculture, food technology and clean growth can leverage export opportunities opened up by emerging free trade agreements with markets worldwide.
Dorset LEP is a member of a steering group, South West AgriTech, which seeks to champion business support and opportunities.
The group has recently published analysis putting the current number of agritech jobs in Dorset at around 700 and the sector’s economic value at £108 million.
