The NBRA hosted its inaugural Apprentice Breakfast Club at the LKQ Training Academy in Tamworth yesterday (30 July).
Supported by LKQ and Ageas, the event was held to highlight the benefits apprenticeships can offer to bodyshops and explain the support available to repairers who do invest in young talent.
NBRA Apprentice Breakfast Club
Held in an open forum to encourage shared dialogue, it examined the perceived and real barriers to taking on apprentices, featured presentations from automotive aftermarket skills specialists AutoRaise, Apprenticeship Central and Auto Assess Apprenticeships, and shared success stories from both repairers and apprentices.
Cost, support and information were cited as the key obstacles for the sector when it comes to apprenticeships, with calls made to build stronger links between the industry and education institutions to develop a more streamlined route into the sector.
Martyn Rowley, executive director, NBRA & VBRA Commercial, said: “I’ve attended a lot of school careers fairs and there are a lot of young people who would like to enter our industry. The roadblock is that too many businesses don’t have the time or inclination to bring in apprentices.
“I know and love this industry, but we need to do more and if this event leads to just one apprentice joining the sector then it will have been a success.”
Read the September issue of Bodyshop magazine for a full report.
