Britain’s Automotive Academy is to consult industry leaders on their training ‘wish list’ at a workshop next month.

The Academy is holding a skills training workshop at which more than 150 delegates from car and commercial vehicle builders along with key vehicle component manufacturers from throughout the UK, will be asked to help highlight current training shortfalls.

Alan Begg, chief executive of the Automotive Academy, says: "Skills shortages are often talked about and everyone knows how competitive our industry is, particularly now with emerging automotive manufacturing countries such as China and India.

“We know which programmes we think are vital, but we want to speak to colleagues in the industry directly so that we can have important input from them. Together we can make sure that this vital industry is being supported by the very best training which exactly meets the needs of the industry."

The one-day workshop will be held at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole Hotel on September 21.

Senior managers join the automotive academy

Four senior managers have been appointed to the Automotive Academy.

It now has its core operational staff in place at its headquarters in Birmingham and has three regional offices running in the Midlands, the North East and the North West.

Ian Buckingham, who was manager, training and development at RWD Technologies, is the academy’s training product development manager.

Graham Crombie, who has worked with British Standards Institute and as a management consultant across a wide range of industries, is the Academy’s training quality evaluation and assurance manager and Roy Leatham is the Academy’s new marketing and communications manager.

Joining shortly is Russell Jeans, who as financial controller will have responsibility for all financial matters for the Automotive Academy and Skills4Auto, the Midlands regional spoke.