Teamwork is the key to success at automotive training provider LAGTA Bosch in Scotland
A happy team is a productive team. That is certainly the belief of Billy White, Operations Manager at the LAGTA Bosch STB, an automotive and logistics training facility in Motherwell, just outside of Glasgow. The site employs a small but highly-skilled group of training specialists.
“I’ve been here for 27 years, and I love it,” he says. “There’s 14 of us in total, and we are all completely committed to offering the very best standards in teaching and learning.
“The team includes Jeannette Aitchison, our Business Development Manager, and Christine Walker, one of the training assessors. Both are brilliant at their jobs and a source of inspiration for young women coming into the industry.”
The LAGTA Bosch STB facility is Scotland's longest established training provider to the automotive industry, delivering annual opportunities for around 15,000 people of all ages who seek to enter or progress within the sector. Its Motherwell-based headquarters offers a range of high-tech workshops and classrooms, which are used for internal and external training by a variety of different organisations.
Many major carmakers including JLR, Honda and Ford have used the facilities to deliver in-house training to their staff. “Most recently, JLR have used the workshops and classrooms for apprenticeship and technician training, and for new model training for dealership and sales staff.
LAGTA Bosch also acts as an approved provider of Bosch Automotive Training to industry, offering hands-on apprentice courses covering a range of technologies such as advanced electronic automotive systems. It has also partnered with the Scottish government to provide training for local schools and colleges, delivering teaching to children as young as 10, through to older students who are about to embark on vocational careers with local employers
“Working with youngsters can be very challenging, but it is immensely rewarding,” says Billy.
Often, the students and apprentices go on to successful careers in the automotive industry. “I had someone contact me recently through Facebook who I’d taught 15 years ago,” says Billy. “He had struggled with parts of his apprenticeship and was at risk of losing the opportunity that he’d been given.
“But we persevered and he progressed. And he got in touch to say thanks, as he had progressed to become a foreman in a garage, and was happily married with kids. I was chuffed, it made my day.”
Since joining Bosch, LAGTA has developed an inspiring relationship with the local community, by supporting local initiatives such as the Lanarkshire Football Association's Girls Football Cup. They also partnered with a local primary school, offering students a six-week programme in basic mechanics. See the link below for more information about these projects.
LAGTA Bosch has been part of the Bosch Group since 2012, when it was acquired from a US-based company. “During that time, we have benefitted from significant investment in workshop facilities and IT infrastructure,” says Billy.
“The strength of the Bosch name and reputation has also opened doors, helping us win first-time contracts with new customers.” Says Billy.
The business now offers MoT training services for the first time, and is capable of delivering all Bosch diagnostic training. It also recently started providing training services for John Clark Motor Group, which is a very well-known new and used car dealer group in Scotland, with around 1,400 employees.
“All in all, it’s a really exciting time for the organisation,” adds Billy
Stay tuned to hear more about Bosch ‘40 locations in the UK’, continuing at our location in Shoreditch, London.