AutoRaise reaches out to redundant Nationwide Accident Repair Centres apprentices

AutoRaise has contacted Nationwide Accident Repair Services administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to offer support and assistance to any technical apprentices that were made redundant due to the closure of stores.

PwC brokered a deal which saw the majority of Nationwide Accident Repair's business and assets sold to RunMyCar Ltd, a subsidiary of Redde Northgate - saving almost 2,350 jobs across 80 sites - last week.

But a total of 540 roles are understood to have been made redundant as 30 sites Nationwide Accident Repair Services were closed.

Bob Linwood, the chief executive of AutoRaise, said: “When I saw that 540 staff had been made redundant, I was concerned that some of those may have been young people who were still in the middle of their apprenticeship.

“Given that one of our roles in the industry is to help young people have a great experience throughout their apprenticeship, it made total sense to try and contact the administrators and offer our services.”

AutoRaise said the PwC responded to AutoRaise’s approach and organised for all redundant apprentices to be made aware that AutoRaise were offering to help them find alternative employment in the industry, to allow them to continue their learning.

Within hours, AutoRaise started to receive emails from young people and have started the information gathering process as part of the next step, the charity said.

Lindwood said: “We need to know their age, location, mobility solution, what apprenticeships they have been on and for how long.

“We are also offering advice on completing a CV and explain to each candidate that whilst there are no guarantees, we will do our best to locate repairers in their area and establish if any opportunities exist for an interview.”

Repairers are being asked by AutoRaise to contact the charity if they would be able to consider taking on a partly trained apprentice.

They can do this by contacting Jen Evans at jen.evans@autoraise.co.uk or by telephone on 0845 644 0339.

AM reported earlier this week that many franchised car retailers across the UK had been left exposed to considerable financial losses after Nationwide Accident Repair Services entered administration.

One parts manager at a major UK retail group, whose business is owed a five-figure sum by Nationwide, told AM that a rise in third-party business failures in Q4 could place a huge toll on businesses battling to run lean and regain profitability in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown.

“Doubt over whether we will get that money is the last thing we need right now,” said AM’s source.

“The recovery has looked really good so far, business has been really strong, but (business failures) could prove to be a huge issue for the whole sector. Lots of car dealers are likely to find themselves exposed to this kind of thing in the months to come.”