Although not essential, you could do a customer service course at college before applying for a job as a trainee tram driver.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

You can apply for a place on a Passenger Transport Driver Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship, with a tram operating company.

This takes around a year to complete.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

You could start as a passenger transport assistant or conductor and move into driving work through internal company promotion and training.

You could apply to vacancies advertised by tram operating companies. Some employers may ask for GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), particularly in English and maths. Customer service skills are also important.

To apply, you'll usually need to be over 21 and have a clean driving licence.

Experience as a bus, coach or train driver would be useful but is not essential.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in light rail from UK Tram.

You'll need:

• customer service skills
• the ability to operate and control equipment
• knowledge of public safety and security
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with others
• observation and recording skills
• excellent verbal communication skills
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

You'll need to:

• have a full driving licence
• be over 21 years of age
• pass a medical check
• be screened for drugs and alcohol

As a tram driver, you'll:

• carry out safety checks on equipment controls at the start of a shift
• follow a timetable schedule along set routes
• pick up and drop off passengers at tram stops
• keep in radio contact with the control room for up-to-date route information
• make passenger announcements on the tram's public address system
• report incidents that happen during a shift, such as signal or equipment failure

Your working environment may be noisy.

You may need to wear a uniform.