JAMES DAY provides more highlights from the Public Transport in the North conference, organised by Buses Magazine
Taking place in Manchester, Public Transport in the North 2023 inevitably had a focus on the Bee Network (see page 28) but other topics were discussed at the event. What follows are some of the highlights.
Zackery McAskill, Stagecoach Manchester
Though Zackery McAskill is head of franchise mobilisation at Stagecoach Manchester, his presentation focussed on attracting young people to the industry.
McAskill said he stumbled across the industry unexpectedly, after his dream of becoming a professional footballer did not work out and he needed to find a new career path. Initially studying law, he found the legal profession boring and learned business management skills instead. He found that the transport industry could offer a career he was interested in.
He had viewed buses as a “last resort mode of transport with dirty, polluting vehicles”, but discovered a different reality when he carried out deeper research. “It makes me wonder how many younger individuals we’ve missed out on, because we haven’t positioned ourselves effectively,” he said.
McAskill noted that transport has one of th…
