Copart announces new skills exchange programme

Copart has introduced a new student exchange programme with Solus, the repair arm of Aviva Insurance.

The collaboration has been introduced to provide engineers in both businesses, including trainees and apprentices, with the opportunity to upskill and build a greater knowledge of each other’s roles as part of the overall customer journey.

Five of Copart’s vehicle damage evaluators took part in the first phase of the programme last month, when they spend two days with Solus, covering key topics such as repair diagnostics, parts ordering, ADAS calibration, painting, panel work, and understanding the customer journey.  

Russ England, engineering services manager, said: “This student exchange programme supports our VDEs personal development and Thatcham apprenticeship training by exposing them to real-life bodyshop experiences which they would not normally get to see, and when we host Solus apprentices throughout 2022 they will gain valuable insights into the salvage sector.

“With a well-publicised skills shortage within the sector, it’s more important than ever to provide our engineers of the future with a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the full policy holder customer journey to enable them to provide the best service possible.”

Holly Rose, learning and development manager at Copart, said: “We have very close and collaborative working relationships with our insurance customers and partners, so we were delighted to have this opportunity to work together on this exciting learning and development initiative. By sharing skills and building knowledge across both businesses, we are not only providing teammates with invaluable personal development and career progression opportunities, but we are improving the overall customer experience for our buyers, sellers, and policy holders.”