Senior business leaders from the new UK Commission for Employment and Skills (CES) have announced their first ‘listen and learn’ visit to a leading company.
CES chief executive Chris Humphries and other commissioners are to visit the BMW Group Academy UK on 17 March, two weeks before its official launch.
BMW’s two-year-old academy near Reading has been seen as a benchmark for successful employee training. Following a £17m investment by the BMW Group, the centre was opened in a bid to tackle skills gaps in the automotive sector and the poor consumer perception of the motor trade.
Since then, more than 16,500 technicians and sales staff have passed through its doors, supporting the company’s aim of increasing productivity and cost savings and reducing staff turnover.
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Humphries said BMW was a practical example of what the commission would like to see happen across all sectors.
The CES officially comes into being on 1 April, replacing the Sector Skills Development Agency and National Employment Panel.
