Unsung hero, Luke Watkins from Coventry garage

Luke Watkins is a role model and mentor for new apprentices starting their engineering career with our National Express Coventry team.

Luke started in a Mechanical Support role before securing a spot on our Engineering Apprenticeship Programme - and despite only being 22 he has massively impressed his peers, colleagues and management teams. 

After successfully completing his Engineering Apprenticeship, Luke is now a fully qualified Fitter. As a result of that experience - and joining National Express via an apprenticeship - Luke has taken it upon himself to mentor new engineering apprentices who are following in his footsteps.

Luke enthusiastically takes new apprentices under his wing and tutors them in a way they find really easy to understand. They look up to Luke and admire him as a role model, referring to him as “an amazing teacher”. And his guidance and influence is having a direct result on their college and exam results.

Graham Livesey, our Coventry garage Engineering Manager, recently presented Luke with a certificate for a National Express Values Award. Luke won the ‘Colleague of the Year’ category, highlighting Luke’s dedication to his work and to his peers and colleagues.

Graham said:

“Luke is a sterling example of the great talent and commitment coming through our business as the next generation of Craftsmen. 

“He has an exemplary reputation for his work ethic. He is fully committed to his engineering role, going above and beyond what is asked of him and he has never had a single day of absence since joining us.

“Everyone in Engineering is delighted to see Luke using his skill, determination and experience to not only develop his own career, but to reach out and pull up the people coming along behind him.”

Luke's Colleagues describe him as “a sponge” because of his enthusiasm for further learning and development - he puts himself forward for every course available. He is a holder of the Advanced IRTEC (Institute of Road Transport Engineers Certification) and Vehicle Inspector Technician accreditation, as well as being newly qualified in Electric Vehicle Training.

Luke’s talent and eagerness to learn not only means that vehicles are repaired quickly and back out on the road serving customers, but also his humble dedication and support for new apprentices starting out in their career means they really enjoy learning their trade, too.