Record number of apprentices join Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Motors UK has seen a record number of apprenticeship requests from the dealer network for training at its headquarters in Cirencester.

So far this autumn, 20 Mitsubishi dealerships from all over the UK have committed to training in Gloucestershire as part of their three-year Level Three Diploma in light vehicle repair, from the Institute of the Motor Industry.

Glyn Lewis, apprentice programme controller for Mitsubishi Motors UK said, ‘The demand for places for apprentices has been unprecedented this year and our intake is double the usual number, which is a reflection of how confident the Mitsubishi dealers are feeling. The dealers are secure about their future and they are investing in more staff as a result. The dealers want people that are trained from the ground up and able to work on Mitsubishi products, like the Outlander plug-in hybrid vehicle.’

Last year saw 11 apprentices on the scheme and in 2013 there was eight. The company has also taken on a new apprentice trainer, Gary Preece, to meet the increased demand for places this September.

The rise in the number of apprentices in the dealer network comes at a time when Mitsubishi Motors is the fastest growing mainstream car brand in the UK, with figures just released by the SMMT showing sales for the calendar year through August 2015 are up 100 per cent versus the same period last year.

A key contributer to the marque’s on-going achievement is the Outlander plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The plug-in vehicle continues to dominate the sector, accounting for almost half of its sales.