Citation
(2006), "BMW (UK) motors ahead with training partnership", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 38 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.2006.03738gaa.005
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
BMW (UK) motors ahead with training partnership
BMW (UK) has opened a £25 million purpose-built training and development centre near Reading, England. The company worked in partnership with training, conference and meeting-room provider Verve Venues, which invested £8 million in the venture.
The BMW Group Academy UK will provide all technical and non-technical training for the BMW and Mini dealerships and will also be available to BMW Group’s employees throughout the UK. Incorporating a 32-bay workshop, 25 training rooms and BMW, Mini and motorcycle showrooms to simulate a working dealer environment, the facility was built in the 250-acre grounds of Wokefield Park, already one of the UK’s leading training venues.
Jim O’Donnell, managing director of BMW (UK) Ltd, said: “Recruitment and retention of skilled people are critical issues facing the retail automotive sector. In order to meet the growth in BMW and Mini UK sales volumes over the next three years, we need to increase the number of people working in our dealerships from 9,000 to more than 11,000. By providing what we believe are the best training programmes, in the best facility in the industry in the UK, we are confident that we will address this issue.”
Tony Dangerfield, Verve Venues chief operating officer, said: “The provision of dedicated residential training facilities, tailored to the needs of leading corporations in the UK, remains the unique speciality of Verve Venues. We welcome BMW to Wokefield Park where it joins other industry leaders at the UK’s prime venue for corporate learning and employee development.”
Verve Venues is in discussion with several other leading corporations in the UK to provide similar bespoke facilities at other sites within its 29-venue portfolio. BMW (UK) has signed a long-term service agreement with Verve Venues.