Go-Ahead Company Profile
Unlock your potential and embark on a rewarding career journey with us!
We are a leading provider of passenger transport in North East England. Our business literally drives people and our team of 1600+ colleagues is at the heart of everything we do.
We’ve connected the North East for nearly 50 years and as the region's largest bus company with over 500 vehicles, we continue to play a crucial role in keeping cities, towns and villages connected and the region’s people moving sustainably.
Go North East is part of the Go-Ahead Group, an international transport group and one of the UK’s leading public transport providers. We also operate in Australia, Ireland, Norway, Singapore, and Sweden.
Go Ahead’s strategy, ‘The Next Billion Journeys’, focuses on service quality and growing organically and by acquisition: alongside maintaining our industry climate change strategy leadership as the UK’s largest operator of zero carbon emission buses.
Many of our business leaders began their careers as graduates and graduate development is a key part of our talent culture that prioritises career development across our organisation. This is why we place significant value on the diverse perspectives that graduates bring into our business.
Find out more about women in Operations
What we are looking for
We are looking for graduates who like to find innovative solutions to challenging problems, who are resourceful, driven, and curious to discover the evolving transport industry and the opportunities it has to offer. We seek confident individuals who can communicate effectively and transparently with people from all backgrounds while showing ambition and collaboration.
Our 18-month graduate programmes include multiple placements around your local business, where you can expect to experience all aspects of the business in a rotational style. As part of our graduate scheme, you will have the opportunity to complete secondments to other parts of the Group to further develop your industry knowledge.
The schemes we offer are designed to help you find your passion, secure a permanent role and build your career in the transport industry.
As a diverse group, we rely heavily on passionate individuals who are agile and motivated to deliver sustainable growth and achieve our goal of a smarter and healthier planet for our customers.
To work together towards achieving this goal we need to develop our future business leaders - think this could be you?
Hear from our Graduates
Joel Halligan – Network Planner (Commercial)
“The graduate scheme provided me with some fantastic opportunities to really get involved in the day-to-day operations of the largest bus company in the North East. From interviewing candidates for bus driving jobs, to managing colleagues at the depot and working with our Head Office Finance and Commercial Teams, there aren’t many areas of the business that I’ve not been able to work in. As part of the graduate scheme, Go North-East also supported my development by allowing me to study for the Transport Managers Certificate of Professional Competence. This means I’m now a qualified Transport Manager, and so get to sit on the company’s operators’ license.”
Mitchell Leathard – General Manager (Operations)
“Joining the Go North-East graduate scheme at the age of 22 was one the best decisions I've ever made. The scheme allows you to experience and understand the workings of one of the largest transport companies in the UK. As a graduate, I experienced all functional departments across Go North-East before deciding Operations was where I wanted to carve out a career. As a General Manager of one of our 5 depots, I'm responsible for both operations and engineering, making decisions that motivate the team to ensure we deliver the best possible service to our many customers.”
Nigel Featham - Managing Director (Go North West and Go North East)
"A graduate scheme at Go North-West and Go North-East is more than just a job. We're looking for the future leaders of our businesses to join this fast-paced and growing sector of transport working right across the vibrant North of England. There's no shortage of talent at Go-Ahead Group, so if you've got the energy and enthusiasm, we've got the opportunity for you!"
Idris Brown - Graduate
“There's something special about being part of a company that is deeply rooted in the community, yet continuously evolving and innovating. It's exciting to think about being part of that journey and now contributing to their ongoing success. But beyond the thrill, there's the profound impact you can make. Transport serves as a lifeline for communities, facilitating everything from daily commutes to crucial hospital visits. Here, your contributions are visible and deeply rewarding—which is a testament to the significance of the work we do.”
