Birmingham Ford has welcomed its first apprentice
Braydon Cooper, 20, is training as an undergraduate service advisor at the dealership, while working towards a BA in Business Leadership & Management Practice, in partnership with Northumbria University.
The degree-level apprenticeship programme offers talented young people the chance to gain a degree while earning a salary of £18,000 holding a full-time permanent role within the business. Vertu Motors plc, the Group which owns Bristol Street Motors, will fund £27,000-worth of tuition fees over the three and a half year course and the course is one of the first motor retail industry’s degree-level apprenticeships.
This year, a group of 13 people are starting the apprenticeships, an increase from the 10 students who started last year, who are now commencing their second year. Like Braydon, students will spend the majority of the course in roles at dealerships across the Vertu Motors group, with the prospect of future progression into managerial roles.
In his spare time Braydon enjoys golf and currently plays football semi-professionally.
Braydon: “The degree apprenticeship really appealed to me and I was thrilled to be a successful candidate. I do enjoy sports and I am proud to play football semi-professionally, but work commitments come first, and I have really enjoyed both working in the dealership and the studying side of the programme.”
Robert Forrester, chief executive officer of Vertu Motors plc, said: “The degree-level apprenticeship is a fantastic opportunity to gain a respected degree, debt-free in a dynamic industry. The programme was hugely successful last year and we are thrilled to welcome our new intake.
“We are always keen to take on talented, enthusiastic people who will fit with our values and our degree-level apprenticeship is not just something for school-leavers to consider. This year we have welcomed a strong mix of men and women of different ages, from a variety of backgrounds. I am excited to see how their careers progress over the next couple of years.”