A Blackburn apprentice is to compete with the nation’s finest public service vehicle engineers at a national contest.

A rising star of Lancashire bus operator Transdev’s workshops – Blackburn-based apprentice engineer Matthew Glass – is to test his skills in a UK-wide competition.

The Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE) is celebrating Britain’s best in bus and coach engineering with its annual Bus and Skills Challenge, giving everyone from apprentices to experienced technicians the chance to shine on the national stage.

Intack depot-based Mr Glass will join young hopefuls from across the country competing in the Apprentice Challenge category.

This year marks the 12th year the IRTE has staged the challenge, and the competition will be held at the S&B Automotive Academy in Bristol between June 3 and 7.

Transdev operations director, Vitto Pizzuti, said: “Our competitors include some of our most experienced mechanical, electrical and bodywork engineers, alongside one of our most promising apprentices, Matt Glass from our Intack depot in Blackburn.

“Through a combination of theoretical and practical tests, everyone taking part gets the chance to show what they’re made of, whether individually or as a team.

“As well as road-testing our industry’s newest technology, it’s a great opportunity to meet others with a passion for engineering and share knowledge, experience and ideas.

"We think we’ve put together a very talented team of seven to represent our depots across Lancashire and Yorkshire – and every one of them, including Matt, is looking forward to taking part and hopefully, being among the winners.”

After five days of intense competition, a panel of experienced judges will choose winners in 16 categories, with results due to be revealed in July.

Transdev has workshops at each of its operating centres across the North, including at Intack in Blackburn and Queensgate in Burnley.