The leader of Derby City Council, Councillor Baggy Shanker, opened the new Kia Academy in Derby yesterday, as part of National Apprenticeship Week.

The Kia Academy is a purpose-built 40,000 square foot building in St. Mowden Park, Derby. The new academy will equip students with key skills and knowledge to forge a career in the automotive industry. The building has been created to facilitate advanced electrical training as well as upskilling apprentices and adult learners.

The academy has opened during National Apprenticeship Week to emphasise the company’s dedication to training and nurturing new talent. Kia offers a variety of apprenticeships all with exclusive benefits and training. These apprenticeships are brought to the public by a partnership between Kia and Skillnet, the UKs largest supplier of apprenticeships in the automotive industry.

Councillor Baggy Shanker, Leader of Derby City Council, said:

I started my career as an apprentice engineer in Derby over 30 years ago, so it was a great honour to have been invited to open this fantastic new training facility. Kia has chosen to invest in Derby and its people, bringing its innovative approach and leadership in electrification to the region.

Training, technical skills, and innovation have always been at the heart of Derby, and we look forward to and welcome the successful unification between Kia and the area. I am excited to see the future of the automotive industry upskill, learn and thrive in Derby.”

Paul Philpott, President & CEO of Kia UK Limited, said:

We are delighted to officially open the all-new Kia Academy here in the heart of Derbyshire. I would like to offer my gratitude to Councillor Shanker for opening this exciting facility, which will be the home for all Kia apprentices and adult-learners. As the automotive industry advances with electrification at its heart, we continue to highlight the importance of technical training and apprenticeships. These students will become the industry-leaders of the future and form the backbone of Kia.

I am excited to see how the Kia Academy grows over the coming years and watch as it engages and educates the next generation of Kia experts. Having first launched our apprenticeship programme 19 years ago, the all-new Kia Academy marks the next confident step in our journey to becoming a leading provider in sustainable mobility.”

To learn more about the apprenticeships Kia offer, you can visit their apprenticeships webpage.

National Apprenticeship Week celebrates the fantastic work that apprentices do and helps raise awareness to the opportunities that completing an apprenticeship offer. You can learn more about National Apprenticeship Week 2024 and how Derby City Council are helping local businesses and apprentices by visiting our newsroom or our apprenticeships webpage.