EDITOR'S CHOICE NEWS Youngster climbs his way into national top spot Royal date for Good Samaritan Remembering the old school days SPORT Blues beaten at Forest Green The Teams are in Chesham swoop for international INTERVIEWS "Street dance is about the music" Artist selected again for Royal Academy show Aristrocratic memoirs COMPETITIONS Win Disney/Pixar WALL•E game for Wii Win tickets for A Swell Party or Gershwin and Friends Addicks and Eagles mascot competition VOTE Is it fair to detain terror suspects for 42 days without charge? Yes No GET OUR NEWS BY E-MAIL Just register

Most read Comments 1 Firefighters rescue toddler stuck in loo seat 2 Remembering the old school days 3 Options announced for Beaconsfield's last major redevelopment 4 Home-grown author appears at Waterstone's 5 Hughenden comes together for day of "merrie" fun 6 Royal date for Good Samaritan 7 Wycombe laces up its trainers for annual race 8 TV wildlife presenter in climbing accident 9 Blues beaten at Forest Green 10 The Teams are in Today | 7 Days 1 Schools chief's fury over SATS "disgrace" 2 Workers picket council offices 3 Boy racers could have cars seized 4 Woman, 21, punched after car collision 5 Banger off on 10,000 mile journey 6 Expenses revealed for south Bucks MPs 7 Staff walk out at two councils 8 Hunt for bright orange raid car 9 Police wear crime cameras 10 Ember blazes a trail

Comment

A RISING star apprentice from High Wycombe has been celebrated in a bid to see what makes a world class' trainer of employees tick.

Chris Humphries, chief executive for the new UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), visited BMW UK's training academy near Reading on Monday.

Charlie Hill, 21, who lives in Marlow, works at the BMW Sytner High Wycombe Dealership, in London Road. He has overcome concentration and learning difficulties to complete his apprenticeship and become a technician.

Mr Hill has recently been awarded BMW Group Academy UK's Best Improver 2007' and has been put forward for a national achievement award for young people who have learning difficulties.

He said: "I was expelled from school and diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. I suffered similar problems in my first year at BMW before I recognised that my reluctance to learn was getting in the way of a job I loved.

"I turned the situation around, was put on the third year fast track and became one of the first to be fully qualified. I now take great pride in my work and enjoy the responsibility of being a first aider and mentoring apprentices."

The visit was the first of many to be made by the new commission, which officially launches on April 1. It aims to help the UK become a leader in employment, skills and productivity, and ensure the UK's employment and skills system responds to the needs of business and public services.

Mr Humphries said: "I want to listen and learn from employers about what they are doing to invest in skills training and to celebrate best practice.

"My visit to BMW UK is very far from being a meet and greet. I want to find out exactly what makes their skills training world class."

BMW apprentices are employed in technical or sales roles at high-street dealerships where they learn on-the-job with support from workplace mentors and assessors.

This is then built upon in academy training weeks. The £17 million BMW Group Academy UK at Wokefield Park was set up two years ago to tackle skills gaps in the industry.

9:00am Monday 14th April 2008

Print

Email this

Comment