The Ferrari North Europe Apprentice Programme in the UK, in partnership with the Official Ferrari Dealer Network, now offers nationally recognised qualifications accredited by IMI Awards. With comment from Matteo Torre Regional Manager, Ferrari North Europe.
Ferrari North Europe took the decision to bring the Apprentice Programme in-house two years ago, and the company has invested over £600,000 in dedicated classroom facilities, workshops, training personnel and materials. The Apprentice Programme offers a unique opportunity for outstanding school leavers to receive three years specialised training on Ferrari’s class-leading and technically innovative range of cars. In line with the Government’s Advanced Modern Apprenticeship guidelines, this project ensures that the Ferrari dealer network has a continual supply of high quality, knowledgeable and expertly trained apprentices, who will become the Ferrari technicians of the future.
The Programme is open to all school leavers aged 16 or over, and includes in-house and in-dealer training for three years, with 24 weeks of specific training at Ferrari North Europe’s head office during the three year programme. The training will include hands-on diagnostic and mechanical training on the current range of Ferrari models, such as the Ferrari 458 Italia, and will also have access to other models from Ferrari’s recent past, including: V8s (F430 Coupe) and V12s (612 Scaglietti), to ensure they have the necessary skills to confidently service the cars they are most likely to see in the workshop at their dealerships. Training doesn’t stop when the Apprentices graduate from the programme and become fully-qualified Ferrari Technicians. Ferrari has one of the highest rates of training days per employee of any automotive brand, particularly for technicians, due to the very complex, unique and highly-advanced technology, some of which has been developed through Ferrari’s experiences in F1, technology that is featured in the current product range. Ferrari technicians continue to receive on-going training at Ferrari North Europe, as part of a structured career development path for their entire career, as we constantly need to train technicians on new processes, methods and technology, every time we introduce a new car.
The investment in the Apprentice programme includes a commitment from all 12 Official Ferrari Dealers in the UK, to each take on at least one apprentice for the duration of the three year Apprentice Programme. Ferrari North Europe also has two Official Body Repairers and one Official Service Centre, which have also taken on Apprentices in 2012. In December 2012, Martin Donnelly, Permanent Secretary, BIS, was at Ferrari North Europe’s Apprentice facilities, where he met 13 new Ferrari Apprentices who had just been enrolled in a new three year Apprenticeship programme. Martin Donnelly also met three Apprentices who have recently completed the three year programme, and are now employed full-time at their respective dealerships. Mr Donnelly commented: “It is a real pleasure to meet these young people and congratulate them on their commitment to becoming the advanced technicians of the future.”
Competition for the 13 places was fierce, with over 1100 applicants from school leavers who dreamed of working for the famous Italian Prancing Horse. The new Apprentices will be employed at Ferrari dealerships throughout the UK, including for the first time, three Apprentices at BodyTechnics, one of the official Body Repairers and one Apprentice at Charles Hurst, the Official Ferrari dealer in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Matteo Torre, Regional Manager Ferrari North Europe, commented: “We are delighted to welcome the new Apprentices to Ferrari as well as congratulate the three graduating Apprentices as they begin their career as fully-qualified Ferrari technicians. We have been overwhelmed by the interest in this programme. This project is part of the Ferrari philosophy of investing in young talent and we are proud to continue this philosophy through the Ferrari North Europe Apprentice Programme and to ensure that the Ferrari dealer network has a continual supply of high quality, knowledgeable and expertly trained apprentices who will hopefully become the Ferrari technicians of the future. ”
