Kia Motors UK has officially opened its new Training Academy in Ruddington, south Nottingham.

Kia's goal is to have at least 100 apprentices signed up to a training scheme by the end of the year.

The Korean brand has a network of 179 dealerships across the UK and the new Academy will run up to 2,500 apprentice delegate days this year.

Kia Academy started business on January 1, but held the officially opening this week. 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.

Simon Hetherington, Kia Motors UK dealer development director, said: “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."