Annual Awards for Excellence 2008

Development of People

Sponsored by FKI Logistex

Winner:   FirstGroup plc, UK Bus Division

Faced with a driver turnover rate in excess of 30%, high absenteeism and an unacceptable accident record together with embedded and out of date business practices First Group's challenge was to design and deliver a strategic management development programme ensuring that managers and supervisors went back to addressing the "basics".

The training budget increased eight fold and this together with four years hard work and investment has resulted in significant reductions in driver turnover, lost mileage, accidents and absenteeism with a  corresponding increase in customer service and profitability and a third consecutive year of on or above target performance.