NASHVILLE – WeGo Public Transit held a ceremony today for four graduates of the WeGo Mechanic Apprenticeship Program, which combines training with a full-time salary and benefits, including health insurance.
“Our apprenticeship program accelerates the development of diesel mechanics by allowing apprentices to learn in a hands-on environment, helping to service our active fleet, with pay and benefits,” WeGo Director of Training and Development Tiarra Dunn said. “This program reflects our commitment to building a highly skilled workforce, expanding access to meaningful career pathways, and delivering reliable service to our customers.”
The goal of the apprentice program is to advance people into a starting mechanic position at WeGo, offering better pay and room for further advancement. It’s a hands-on program taught in the WeGo maintenance facilities with participants working on active fleet buses. WeGo recruits a new mechanic apprentice class once a year. To join, applicants must be 18 or older, submit a resume, pass a mechanical aptitude test, and complete an interview process. Applicants for the next class can get started by signing-up on the WeGo Talent Community page at WeGoTransit.com.
“Along with our bus operators, mechanics are an important part of expanding public transit in Nashville,” WeGo CEO Steve Bland said. “They are the foundation of what we do. This new group of mechanics will help us grow and meet the vision of Mayor O’Connell’s Choose How You Move program.”
The WeGo Mechanic Apprenticeship program is one of only 34 recognized transit agency apprenticeship programs in the nation, as reported by the Transit Workforce Center in Washington, D.C. The program is a joint effort of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1235, Davidson Transit Organization/WeGo Public Transit and organized with guidelines from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
