Sir Digby Jones launches motorsport academy
MDUK-backed programme to help the UK motorsport industry recruit and develop staff, with world class skills, gets up to speed
The UK is pre-eminent in the field of motorsport engineering. To ensure it remains so, an innovative programme (‘Moving you up a gear’) has been launched to help the industry recruit and develop staff with exactly the world-class skills and expertise it requires.
The Motorsport Academy is a partnership between the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) and internationally renowned automotive education and training provider Carter & Carter plc, with funding from Motorsport Development UK (MDUK).
The Motorsport Academy will allow representatives of the UK’s motorsport industry to play an active part in the structure and delivery of future motorsport engineering education and training courses. The prime aim is simple – to improve the employability and profitability of the next generation of recruits.
Said Chris Aylett of the MIA, “At present, there is a disparity between the constantly changing needs of the hi-tech motorsport sector and what educational providers offer. By its very nature, the world of education must move at a different pace than our industry, and this makes relevant provision difficult. Students can, for example, lack the necessary practical experience and knowledge of the latest techniques and practices, which reduces their employability.
“This in turn reduces the profitability of typical motorsport SMEs, as they must spend time and money training newcomers before they can put them to profitable use. The Motorsport Academy programme will help ensure trainees and graduates are ‘fit for purpose’ and contributing to profit within the shortest time possible. This will help to keep our £5billion industry in pole position in the high value global motorsport sector.”
When people think of the motorsport industry they naturally think first of engineers, but the sector offers employment to all manner of other professionals with, for example, skills in: marketing, corporate hospitality, PR, journalism, photography, event and venue management, finance, administration etc.
The Motorsport Academy was, appropriately, launched by former Director General of the CBI, Sir Digby Jones, during the MIA’s recent Business Networking Dinner at WilliamsF1’s magnificent facility. Sir Digby, who is passionate about improving skills to keep the UK competitive, gave the scheme his blessing before presenting the Academy Charter to the Chairman of the Academy’s Governing Council, John Grant.
There will now be a nationwide series of Academy workshops, to introduce the scheme to industry and educators and gain their feedback and involvement. These are scheduled as follows: - Nov. 22 – Stirling (at CA Models)- Nov. 28 – Rotherham, Yorks (at the Advanced Manufacturing Park) -Nov. 30 – Brackley, Northants (at Honda F1) -Dec. 5 – Brooklands, Surrey (Mercedes-Benz World) -Dec. 6 – Swansea (at Technium Performance Engineering)
Anyone from the motorsport industry or the world of education wishing to attend any of these Academy workshops, should contact Russell Douglas on 02476 692600 or russell.douglas@the-mia.com
