NEW College Nottingham has taken over a car dealership to help teenagers start their careers in the car business.
The college has bought the Co-operative Motor Group garage, in Haydn Road, Sherwood, to train students and apprentices in the motor trade.
It will be renamed 3E Autos, which will be a subsidiary company linked to the college – the first of its kind in the UK.
Other similar "learning companies" are also being set up to train young people and make sure they are ready for work when they leave college.
The idea behind them is that students and apprentices can learn their trade by dealing with the public up front.
3E Autos will be run a proper car dealership, with classroom space for trainees on the first floor of the building.
The 25 staff currently employed by the Co-operative Motor Group will keep their jobs and will help to train the apprentices, 15 of whom will start courses in September.
Qualifications on offer will be various diplomas in vehicle maintenance and repairs, and apprenticeships in vehicle fitting, maintenance and repairs.
Peter Roberts, assistant principal for enterprise at the college, said: "This will be a different way of learning and training up the future staff in this huge sector.
"It will still be run as a garage. But it will allow us to train up the apprentices and full-time students."
The move is part of college principal Amarjit Basi's vision to target the curriculum towards training students in key industries in Nottingham.
The garage will retain approved repairer status with Nissan, Renault and Chrysler/Jeep to ensure the warranties for existing customers are uninterrupted, along with the continuation of second-hand car sales.
Mr Roberts added: "We intend that all existing customers will still be able to get the service they receive here, if not better."
While the college is looking to set up more big "learning companies" similar to 3E Autos, other smaller ones have already been set up.
They include Inspire Design, an advertising agency, and My Jobs Place Ltd, a recruitment agency.
Mr Basi said: "This is a hugely significant move not just for further education in the city but for the local economy. Collaboration with local employers is absolutely central to our strategy for continued local skills development and to support our young people into meaningful employment.
"We have bold and ambitious plans to ensure all our students get real industry insight and experience and this new venture represents the first major milestone in the delivery of our employability promise.
"This is a first for Notts and a first for the country – a great way of putting Nottingham on the map."
Tony Guest, managing director of the Co-operative Motor Group, said: "Working with New College Nottingham creates a fantastic opportunity for the team to continue to operate the dealership, while also creating learning opportunities for students .
"We're confident the venture will be a great success."
