Suzuki GB PLC hosted the annual graduation ceremony for its Advanced Apprenticeship Programme (AAP) at the Rockingham Motor Speedway in Northamptonshire. Out of the 24 trainee technicians from Suzuki’s automobile, motorcycle and ATV UK retail networks, who graduated this year, a total of 18 collected their certificates from Suzuki GB’s Managing Director, Nobuo Suyama, and Director of Aftersales, Denis Houston.
The prestigious event, attended by over 100 guests, marks fifteen years of the programme following its launch in 2003. Since then, hundreds of young apprentices have gone on to successfully complete the highly sought-after scheme, which takes place over 36 months for technicians, and during a two-year period for aftersales parts consultants.
Throughout the practical, hands-on learning initiative, participants from across the country, who this year spanned Devon in the south, to Dumfries in the north, are rewarded with mentoring and full-time employment at a Suzuki dealership that has also committed to paying for their apprentice’s training and qualifications. Amongst many other benefits, individuals equally receive one week’s tuition every two months at the £1.5 million state-of-the-art Bosch-run training centre training facility in Doncaster (South Yorkshire), which was formally unveiled earlier this year, as well as a fully structured career path.
Denis Houston, Director of Aftersales for Suzuki GB, said: “The graduation of the apprentices is a special moment in their career as it is the culmination of three years’ hard work which has been designed to give them the very best start to their professional journeys. The young trainees have put in a considerable amount of time and effort to arrive at this point, whilst building their skillsets and gaining a valuable insight into what it takes to deliver an exemplary high standard of service to today’s Suzuki customers. This would not have been possible without the extensive level of support from our nationwide dealer network for which we are very grateful.”
The 18 apprentice technicians who attended the ceremony out of the 24 graduates were:
Motorcycle division:
Joshua Beddis Frasers of Gloucester (Gloucestershire)
Paul Belfield A&D Motorcycles, Denbigh (North Wales)
Mitchell Betts Two Wheel Centre, Mansfield (Nottinghamshire)
James Newall 5-Ways Motorcycles Centre, Kingston Upon Hull (East Riding of Yorkshire)
James Scott Two Wheel Centre, Mansfield (Nottinghamshire)
Joe Skellern Single Tracker Motorcycles, Crewe (Cheshire)
James Wilkinson SPS Motox, Melton Mowbray (Leicestershire)
ATV division:
Callum Gates Antony Betts, Leighton Buzzard (Bedfordshire)
Paul Swinbank H Pigney & Son, Appleby-in-Westmorland (Cumbria)
Automobile division:
Lewis Bicker Sportif Suzuki, Witney (Oxfordshire)
Ryan Cook Lanehouse Suzuki, Weymouth (Dorset)
Lucas Edwards Stoneacre Suzuki Stoke (Staffordshire)
Charles Gill Chapelhouse Suzuki Stockport (Greater Manchester)
Benjamin Neve Eastbourne Suzuki (East Sussex)
Lewis Owen Stoneacre Ackworth Suzuki, Pontefract (West Yorkshire)
Robert Plowman Cropleys Suzuki, Boston (Lincolnshire)
Craig Ruthven Border Cars, Dumfries (Scotland)
Lauren Sarantino Quay Auto Centre, Kingsbridge (Devon)
SOURCE: Suzuki
