Halfords and the Palmer Foundation – the charity established by former Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer – have announced a partnership to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to train as automotive technicians.
It is hoped the move will go some way to addressing the UK shortage of qualified motor technicians
The new partnership is designed to enhance Halfords own recruitment drive. The company, which hopes to recruit about 100 apprentices this year, employs a total of 2,200 technicians across its 600 garages.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “This is a big win for the UK automotive sector, not only bringing new talent into the industry but also levelling the playing field for people from a more diverse range of backgrounds.
“As the UK economy motors forward, we need talented people in critical sectors like auto, and it’s great to see Halfords and the Palmer Foundation backing government efforts to expand apprenticeships and plug the skills gap.”
Under the agreement announced today, Halfords will interview all suitable Palmer Foundation candidates and meet all costs over the course of a 2-year apprenticeship – which includes one day of college tuition a week – for those who are successful.
For its part, the Palmer Foundation will identify disadvantaged young people who may be suitable for automotive apprenticeships through a programme of stewardship at school. As well as apprenticeship placement the Palmer Foundation offers on-going mentoring from leading executives in the automotive industry.
Halfords seeks to ensure that hard working students who complete their apprenticeship will always find employment at Halfords. Apprentices will graduate with either a Level 2 or Level 3 qualification .
Dr Andy Palmer said: “When I left school at 16 with few qualifications to my name, not many people expected I’d end up leading some of the most important businesses in the auto industry. I’ve only been able to get here because of my apprenticeship, which were some of the best days of my life. Many of the most senior people in the auto industry started out as apprentices, including me.
“I hope that this partnership with Halfords allows the Palmer Foundation to give the same opportunities I had as a young person to many more young people without connections and a support network around them. Who knows? Perhaps we’ll have a future CEO or two amongst the first intake of the Palmer Apprentices.”