Kwik Fit has marked National Apprenticeship Week by making its apprentices the stars of its social media campaign. In total, over 4,000 people have started their automotive careers through a Kwik Fit apprenticeship.
Kwik Fit Planning to Extend Apprenticeship Scheme
Kwik Fit, the UK’s largest automotive repair and servicing company, is ready to extend its apprenticeship scheme in 2022. In recent years, Kwik Fit offered 150-200 apprenticeships. However, this year, Kwik Fit is looking to recruit more apprentices than ever, with the National Apprenticeship Week a springboard for its current apprentices to share their experiences in the role and why they opted for an automobile career.
Kwik Fit’s apprenticeships are highly respected, with many graduates gaining senior roles within Kwik Fit and similar organisations. In 2017, the government made apprenticeship reforms to make apprenticeships more viable in the workplace. Kwik Fit stepped up its programme to include over 18,000 training days yearly for apprentices, which incorporates a mix of theory and practical training. Since these changes, Ofsted has granted Kwik Fit’s programme ‘Outstanding’.
Apprentice of the Year Opens up About Kwik Fit Programme
Jack Wakeman from Telford joined Kwik Fit as an apprentice and last year received the apprentice of the year award from the industry body, the National Tyre Distributors Association. He is now a supervisor in the company’s Shrewsbury centre.
Wakeman said of the programme: “I’ve loved cars since I was small and when I left school, I didn’t want to go to Uni, so I found an apprenticeship in something l was passionate about. The Kwik Fit programme was perfect, and I loved it from day one. There is opportunity to progress, which is my goal – to keep learning and move up the ladder. I’m really grateful to my managers and everyone who supported me in my apprenticeship, and I want to be able to help the next generation in the future.”
Paul Binks, group people director at Kwik Fit, concluded on the recent news, saying: “Like in many industries, the skills and knowledge required in the automotive sector are changing rapidly. As the apprentices of today will become the leaders of the business tomorrow, it is vital that the foundation of their learning keeps pace with market needs. One obvious example is the growing number of electric vehicles (EVs) on our roads. We need to ensure we have the technicians to service them, and so our apprentices get a grounding in EVs as part of their programme.”
