IMI awards inaugural Centre of Excellence

The Institute of the Motor Industry has named BMW Group UK Academy in Berkshire the first IMI TechSafe Centre of Excellence.

The prestigious inaugural award recognises the outstanding achievements of the BMW Academy in developing and promoting IMI TechSafe standards.

The £17m purpose-built BMW Group UK Academy opened in 2006 and is dedicated to training apprentices and keeping BMW Group retailer network delegates up to date on the latest products, techniques and technology – with a staggering 76% of BMW technicians now IMI qualified and TechSafe eligible.

Phil Neal, national technical training manager, BMW Group UK Academy, said: “At the BMW Academy we are committed to delivering the highest level of training to our long-term employees and new apprentices alike, and are long-standing supporters of the IMI TechSafe programme.

“For the benefit of the end customer as well as the wider industry, we have built IMI TechSafe into our Academy programme and retailer standards across our network. Our technical apprentices also finish their programme with IMI EV Level 2 accreditation to drive standards higher and ensure our technicians are fully trained to work safely on electric vehicles.”

Steve Nash, CEO of the Institute of the Motor Industry, said: “We are delighted to have presented this first IMI TechSafe Centre of Excellence accreditation to the BMW Academy in recognition of its achievements in training, supporting and promoting the IMI TechSafe ambitions and professional register in the UK and overseas.

“We look forward to recognising more organisations that meet our Centre of Excellence criteria in the near future, as the industry works together to further increase standards across the UK and internationally.”