Capability6 min read

How does applied training differ from the bus reform learning already available?

Free learning, guidance and networks are already available. Applied training focuses on your Authority’s bus reform decisions, leaving your team with usable outputs.

By Mark Davies

Managing Partner, Intelligent Transport Advisory

What is already available

More Authorities are considering franchising, Enhanced Partnerships and other ways to improve bus services. Teams need to understand strategy, procurement, ticketing, customer services and operating models. Support is already available. The question is which kind of learning suits the decision your Authority faces.

The Bus Centre of Excellence is funded by the Department for Transport and hosted by the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation. Membership is free and open to people working in local authorities, operators, suppliers and consultancies.

It offers conferences, webinars and e-learning, and runs a Franchising Network that meets every eight weeks. Its funding runs to spring 2029, and it plans to expand its team.

Authorities can also draw on published government guidance, including guidance on setting up a franchising scheme. This is valuable. It shares knowledge across the sector at little or no cost, and it lets officers learn from other Authorities.

What sector-wide learning does well

Sector-wide learning explains the principles, shares experience and keeps officers up to date with policy. It suits individuals who need background knowledge, or who want to compare notes with peers.

It gives officers principles and shared experience they can apply to their Authority’s evidence, risks and decisions.

What applied training adds

Applied training brings the learning into the Authority. A delegate group of six to ten people works through its own problem, with the colleagues it will deliver alongside.

Right of Way courses work this way. Before the day, a short diagnostic sets out your Authority’s evidence and the questions the session needs to answer. Our facilitators cover the key concepts and relevant cases. Your team then applies them to its work. Each course ends with a usable addition to your Authority toolkit.

The balance varies by course. Ticketing, Intelligent Transport Systems and Artificial Intelligence include more taught content. The other courses are mainly workshop-led.

The two kinds of learning compare as follows:

—Who attends — Sector-wide learning: individuals from many organisations. Applied training: a delegate group from one Authority.
—What it covers — Sector-wide learning: general principles and shared experience. Applied training: your Authority’s own decisions and evidence.
—What it leaves behind — Sector-wide learning: individual knowledge. Applied training: usable outputs for your Authority toolkit.
—Cost — Sector-wide learning: often free or low cost. Applied training: commissioned by your Authority.

Use both, for different purposes

Both types of learning have a place. Sector-wide resources give your staff background knowledge and a wider network. Applied training is most useful when a decision is due and your team needs to work towards it with confidence.

An Authority might ask staff to join relevant webinars and networks throughout the year. It can then commission applied training at the points where the programme needs a decision or a deliverable.

Useful questions

Before choosing training, an Authority should ask:

—Which decisions or deliverables are due in the next six months?
—Does your team need background knowledge, or help applying it to your programme?
—Which colleagues need to work through the problem together?
—What output should your team have when the training ends?
—Which free resources can your staff use alongside commissioned training?

Talk to us about applied training

Right of Way delivers applied training for transport Authorities, built around the decisions they face. To discuss a course for your team, email contact@intelligenttransportadvisory.co.uk.