Business
Training chief visits local academy
31st March 2008
Mission to find secrets of their success
THE chief executive of a training commission recently visited BMW’s Wokefield training academy to learn what makes it so successful.
Two years ago, the car manufacturer set up it’s £16 million UK training academy in the village near Mortimer to try and tackle the skills gap that was apparent in the market.
It offers a wide variety of technical and management courses.
Education inspectors from Ofsted recently described the academy as “world class” and the chief executive of the new Commission for Employment and Skills, Chris Humphries, was given a tour of the academy.
He met apprentices, trainers and directors.
He said: “I was impressed with the efforts to recruit more women and the support given to those who had struggled with education previously.
Thanks to these kinds of training programmes, the motor industry is being driven by a new breed of extremely well qualified people.”
Over the last two years, over 16,500 technicians and sales staff have passed through the doors of the Wokefield site.
Pictured, the chief executive of the new Commission for Employment and Skills, Chris Humphries, at BMW’s training academy in Wokefield meet three former BMW apprentices, Serena Depradine, Charlie Hill and Irfan Khan
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