Ford & Slater Wisbech

Ford & Slater Leicester apprentice HGV technician Ryan Collins was the Graduate of the Year in the DAF Apprentice of the Year competition held on 29th October 2008 in Bristol.

Ryan Collins was ranked 1st overall amongst the 3rd year finalists - an outstanding achievement which built upon the 1st and 2nd place rankings Ryan achieved during his first two years of study at City of Bristol College. Since the program was established in 1995 it has become the largest training program in the UK that specializes in HGV technical skills. This year 56 apprentices successfully completed the program, bringing the total number of graduates to date to well over 400. Congratulations were also well deserved by Martin Hulbert who was ranked 2nd amongst the 2nd year finalists.
 

It was pleasing that with 8 graduates Ford & Slater had the highest number of technicians graduate from the national program of any dealer group in the DAF network. Nigel Strevens, Joint Managing Director commented that "The Company will continue to invest in apprentices regardless of the current economic doom and gloom because the long-term outlook for DAF remains very positive and the shortage of HGV technicians must be overcome through attracting more young persons into our industry.
Our graduates have all worked extremely hard to achieve these results over a long period of time; the excellent outcome tonight is also the result of a team effort by many persons including the apprentices, supervisors, service managers and general managers at each site."
 

All new apprentices are enrolled on the prestigious three-year National Dealer Apprentice Program which is run at the DAF Trucks Centre of Learning at City of Bristol College. The apprentice technicians come from DAF dealerships throughout the UK and their three-year course combine hands-on workshop training with periods of residential study and practical training at the college. It is managed for DAF Trucks by Skillnet Automotive Academy, a major provider of government-funded vocational training.
At the end of the program each student emerges with an Advanced Apprenticeship in Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair. This includes an NVQ at level 3, a BTEC National Certificate, a recognised welding certificate, and key skills in communication and information technology.
 

Students also satisfy several elements of the DAF Master Technician program run at the company's training centre at Thame in Oxfordshire, including electrics, brakes and the use of the Davie XD diagnostic tool.
 

The programme is a fourway partnership between DAF Trucks, the DAF Dealer Network, Skillnet Automotive Academy and the City of Bristol College, at which the DAF Centre of Learning is located.

Pictured above (LtoR) Robert Baxter - Chairman of the DAF Dealer Service Panel, Ryan Collins - Graduate of the Year, Ray Ashworth - Commercial Operations Director DAF Trucks.