Kia Motors UK officially opened an all-new Training Academy in Ruddington, South Nottingham on Wednesday 11 July. The Academy gives the next generation of Kia apprentices from across the UK the opportunity to become fully qualified at the facility in their chosen course.

Kia’s goal is to have at least 100 apprentices signed up to a scheme by the end of the year. With 179 dealerships across the UK to serve, the Kia Academy will run up to 2,500 apprentice delegate days this year alone.

Kia Academy opened for business on 1 January 2012 and offers a variety of apprentice schemes.Apprentices are able to train in both technical and non-technical domains, whereas only technical courses were previously available. Courses now available at the facility include, Light Vehicle Technician, Service Advisor and Parts Advisor. For the first time in the UK, apprentices will also be able to study a combined Service and Parts Advisor course.

All of the apprentices will undergo an Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) accredited assessment prior to completing their training. The governmentally recognised accreditation – coupled with industry leading technical trainers – means the apprentices will receive the very highest quality in automotive training.

The latest Kia models will be used as part of the technical training development, meaning the apprentices will have a second-to-none knowledge on the very latest Kia technology.

Simon Hetherington, Dealer Development Director, Kia Motors UK commented, “Over the last few years Kia has experienced growth, in sales, market share and brand image and our dealer network has been changing too, with a bold new red face for Kia on the high-street.”

“We recognise that the most important thing to ensure we deliver great customer experiences is our people. That is why we have invested in our new Kia Academy training centre, enabling us to deliver our latest courses to technicians, service advisors and sales consultants from all around the UK. It is also the home for our new Apprenticeship Programme, providing a great start to their careers and supporting the growth of the next generation of Kia people.”