Graduate finishing school gathers pace

摘要

The Automotive Academy is the result of a unique partnership between the automotive industry, government, the education sector and training providers. It was spawned from the DTl's Automotive Innovation and Growth Team and was a far-sighted initiative to boost skills in the UK amid growing international competition. It is driven by the industry and the beneficiaries will be individuals, companies and the British economy, to which the automotive sector is a vital contributor. The vision of the Academy is to be the prestigious national centre of learning for people in the automotive industry in the UK. However, it is not a deliverer of courses, but provides opportunities to firms and individuals to access training that is globally competitive and directly relevant to industry. The Academy is organised on the basis of a hub and a series of spokes, the hub being based in the West Midlands - the heart of the industry - and is its nerve centre. It is a very lean organisation, with a small team creating a strategy for enhancing the industry's skills. The hub also has the responsibility of validating the courses, providers and assessors. The spokes will act as agents for the Academy, providing a 'one-stop shop' contact to help companies with their training and funding requirements.