Bristol automotive academy goes triple Platinum

March 21, 2012 - PRLog -- In recognition of its success in training young people for a career in the the retail automotive, passenger and commercial transport sectors, Bristol based learning provider, S&B Automotive Academy, has won a major industry accolade for the third successive year.

Presented at a prestigious event in London held by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), the Academy’s Chief Executive, Jon Winter, received the Platinum ‘Skillmiles’ trophy from His Royal Highness, Prince Michael of Kent, Patron of the IMI, in front of an audience of over 400 senior automotive industry executives.

Honoured for its consistently high success rates for Apprenticeships, the opportunities it provides for disadvantaged young people, pioneering use of technology and endeavours to promote careers within the sector, S&B took the top spot in the IMI’s ‘Skillmiles’ scheme for 2011 in the UK Training Provider category, making it a hat trick of wins.

The IMI’s ‘Skillmiles’ scheme is designed to measure the contribution being made by companies in aiding skills development within the UK automotive sector.  To date, S&B has clocked up more ‘Skillmiles’ than any other UK training provider, in support of training the next generation of technicians and engineers. Now in its fourth year, the number of participants in the scheme has grown to over 250, generating an equivalent monetary value in ‘Skillmiles’ of more than £9 million.

The Academy’s implementation of ‘virtual’ school visits over the internet, linking education and business using specially adapted camera technology, won it special praise from the IMI. Commenting on its Platinum performance, Jon Winter, Chief Executive, S&B Automotive Academy, said:

“Apprenticeships remain a critical element in equipping the workforce with the skills they need for the UK to stay competitive. The Academy has been at the forefront of automotive training for over four decades but we continue to look at ways in which we can make a positive difference to learners and employers.”

Continued Winter:

“Achieving this prestigious award is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team at S&B who share a vision to see our Academy recognised as the leading light for automotive Apprenticeships in the UK. With record numbers of learners achieving top marks, we continue to raise the bar and winning this award again strengthens our determination to do even better.”

With increases in University fees up to £9k per year becoming effective from September 2012, the Academy expects interest in its range of Apprenticeships and other courses to rise significantly over the next few months.

Ends

Photo caption:  Jon Winter, Chief Executive, S&B Automotive Academy, receives the Platinum ‘Skillmiles’ trophy for the third time from HRH Prince Michael of Kent, Patron of the Institute of the Motor Industry.

 
Notes:
S&B Automotive Academy is the leading apprentice training provider serving the retail motor industry and transport sectors. It is responsible for training more than 300 apprentices annually. Established for over 40 years as a not-for-profit organisation, S&B Automotive Academy was the first to achieve the Training Excellence stamp and is an approved assessment centre for the national Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) and irtec licensing schemes.

In the 2010/11 academic year, S&B doubled the number of successful Apprenticeships with some 350 apprentices graduating from the Academy and achievement levels reached an all-time high. Figures released by the Government’s Skills Funding Agency show an overall success rate of 85% of apprentices completing at S&B. This is 9% higher than the national benchmark figure of 76% for the automotive sector, which is one of the best performing industries for Apprenticeships in England. For those learners on the Advanced Apprenticeship three-year programme, success rates were even higher, at over 98%.

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