Ireland-based recruitment company Grafton Recruitment is set to bring a total of 2,500 drivers over from countries in Europe to ease the skills shortage in the UK.

The firm is doing this as part of a managed service project with UK bus company First Group, and has already brought over more than 120 drivers to places including London, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow.

First Group began recruiting from states such as Lithuania, Poland, Estonia and Slovakia when they joined the European Union in May last year, but approached Grafton in November with a view to outsourcing the project.

Grafton already had a division, known as Grafton International, which exports staff from eastern Europe to the UK.

“We’re experts in public transport, but not in finding someone with the right skills who wants to come to the UK,” said Jim Dalton, head of UK and EU HR at First Group.

As part of the service, Grafton works with language schools in eastern Europe to ensure candidates reach an appropriate standard of English. Grafton also looks after driver training and certification, background checks, registration to work in the UK, and administrative basics such as National Insurance.

First Group also has a deal with estate agency Countrywide to help its new recruits find accommodation when they have arrived in the UK.

Dalton claims drivers from the new EU states will eventually make up around 10% of First’s drivers. They can expect to earn between £15,000 and £20,000 a year, compared with just £3,500 in Poland.

First Group claims it has already been able to increase the number of services on certain routes.