Peugeot aims to have an apprentice in every dealership by the end of 2016 as part of the PSA Academy scheme which currently supports over 300 apprentices.

Training positions in servicing, sales, parts, customer service and business administration have all been supported by the PSA Academy Apprenticeship programme which was set up to get young people interested in joining the automotive industry and gaining practical experience.

By the end of 2015, the Academy had over 300 apprentices aged 16 to 18 on the programme for Peugeot, Citroёn and DS brand dealerships.

Now the aim of the Academy is to have at least one apprentice based in all Peugeot dealerships in the UK.

Academy director Martin Hamill said: “While other manufacturers offer similar schemes, Peugeot realises the importance of sourcing young talent who are keen to learn new skills and start a career within our Dealerships.

“This is why we want to ensure all dealers have an apprentice working in the team as part of the Academy Apprenticeship programme.

“Apprentices will be employed by a franchised dealer local to them and trained at one of Peugeot’s dedicated training facilities, while working towards their NVQ in a chosen specialism. 

“We hope that programmes like the Academy Apprenticeship will encourage more young people into apprenticeships, realising the benefits that come with learning skills on the job and offering a feasible alternative to Further/Higher Education.”

To recruit an apprentice, Peugeot dealerships have to establish the requirement for an apprentice with the Academy in one of the five available areas in the business.

The Academy will arrange for the position to be advertised online as part of the National Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service for applicants to apply.

Most vacancies will be posted for seven to 21 days before candidates are selected by the dealership for interview. 

The apprenticeships run for a varying amount of time, from 27 to 38 months, dependant on the position.

At the end of each apprenticeship term, apprentices will achieve a Level 2 NVQ and Technical certificate. From there, they will go on to achieve their Level 3 accreditation.