ANY firm whose mission is to be the best in its field needs to have a comprehensive training programme in place to bring staff up to high levels of competence.

As a leader in the disposals industry, BCA recognise training is imperative to keep it at the forefront and has invested in a new training academy to ensure its employees are clued up on the changes that occur in such a fast-moving industry.

The BCA Training Academy, based at BCA Preston, was opened recently by Fred Maguire, president of the Retail Motor Industry Federation and chairman of dealer group Lookers.

Maguire was given brief tour of the training academy and spent time with BCA staff undergoing IT training. BCA has more than 2,000 employees across Europe, and the centre will even be used for acclimatisation of European staff.

Maguire said: 'BCA has a strong heritage in training and development and this is reflected in the high levels of service the company delivers at every level of its business.

'The company has a reputation for handling itself in a professional manner and this is the foundation on which its considerable success has been built.'

The existing infrastructure of the Preston centre has been redeveloped for the exclusive use of the Training Academy, complete with the latest state-of-the-art technology to assist in the training process.

The firm has employed Peter Mack as the dedicated training academy manager with responsibility for running the centre.

Mack said: 'With the increase in technology-based services within BCA, there is an ongoing need to give our staff the best quality training so they can make the most of the opportunities that arise. With this dedicated centre, we can deliver a high-quality training and learning environment for our most important asset – our staff.'

The new academy holds a number of one day and semi-residential courses with an emphasis on information technology and PC skills, alongside other disciplines.

There are six individual training rooms, reception and a 'break-away' area fully equipped with the latest technology. The academy features individual training stations for each student, equipped with high-specification PCs. With a high trainer: student ratio, all attendees should benefit from dedicated one to one tuition during their course.

The main classroom is fully equipped with a PC terminal and screen on every desk and the tutor uses an interactive whiteboard. The meeting room is set out in boardroom style and also has an interactive whiteboard and terminal points for each student to access the BCA wide-area network (WAN).

A further two fully-equipped training rooms offer facilities for smaller groups. There is also a 'break-out' area for groups to study in and a fully functioning cashiers' office for cashier tuition. BCA now delivers the majority of its training programmes at the Preston academy, while still keeping the opportunity for distance learning where appropriate. But ideally, making the trip up the M6 to Preston is the best option, as it gives staff a more focused learning experience.

Mack said: 'While we have excellent facilities throughout the network that can be used for training, we find that having a dedicated facility brings many more benefits to the learning experience.

'Where we have staff – particularly auction management people – participating in a course at their work location, there are always other calls on their time.

'Break sessions are used to deal with any operational issues, which obviously interferes with their concentration on the training activities and might mean they won't get the best from the course.

'At the academy we are self-contained and students are cut-off from the day-to-day work distractions.'

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