The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) celebrated the achievements of automotive professionals at its Annual Dinner on Thursday night, 15 March, in the presence of the Institute’s Patron, HRH Prince Michael of Kent.
The prestigious annual event held at The Landmark hotel in London was attended by over 440 industry professionals with the Skillmiles awards hosted by Sarah Sillars OBE, Executive Chair of the IMI.
Now in its fourth year, the Skillmiles scheme is a way of demonstrating to industry, employers and Government the valuable contribution many companies and individuals in the sector are making to aid skills development. The level of support this year has been unprecedented. The number of participants has grown to over 250 and this year the IMI have seen an outstanding increase in the number of activities submitted. This year alone, the equivalent monetary value of the points recorded has reached over £9.2 million. A superb achievement for all those involved.
Eight awards were presented on the night to the companies or individuals who had finished at the top of their respective categories, the winners are:
Automotive Group – Macrae and Dick (Andrew Grzesinski collected the award)
Franchised Dealer category – John Clark BMW Aberdeen (Julie Stewart collected the award)
Independent Garage category – Allied Vehicles Glasgow (Paul Nelson collected the award)
Member Associations – Derby Member Association (Mathew Curtis collected the award)
Sole trader category – John Dawson
Support Organisation – Andrew Page (Nigel Buchanan collected the award)
Training provider – S&B Academy (Jon Winter collected the award)
Vehicle Manufacturer – Jaguar Land Rover (Dr. Adrian Birch collected the award)
Ignition Award – Honda Institute (Ian Whitley collected the award)
Speaking at the awards, Sarah Sillars said:
“These recognition awards provide a meaningful way to acknowledge those who have significantly contributed to the development of skills within our sector, and the IMI pays tribute to those actively making a difference to the industry through their work and commitment to improve performance.”
“Congratulations to all those who have won awards this evening but huge thanks and praise must go to all the contributors who have supported the IMI and demonstrated their incredible commitment to the wider industry.”
Sarah also thanked all the sponsors of this year’s dinner which included Amco, BDO, Continuum Insurance Brokers, Electude, Grass Roots, IMI Awards, Marshall Motor Group, Quadrant and Remit.
Joining HRH Prince Michael of Kent GCVO FIMI and Patron of the IMI was Richard Noble OBE, Project Director for Bloodhound SSC and land speed record holder between 1983 and 1997. Richard gave an inspirational speech about importance of using a ground-breaking project like Bloodhound SSC to excite and enthuse children about technology.
The Annual Dinner is an opportunity for the Institute to showcase the work and achievements of the previous year and also set out our agenda for the year ahead. Among the list of successes over the last year, is the securing of EIF 1 and 2 bids totaling over £3 million of investment on behalf of the automotive retail sector.
During this year the IMI undertook the largest ever research study carried out by the IMI. Working with over 1,600 employers, the IMI identified the skills and training needs over the next 18 months to two years for every key job role in every sub-sector of the industry. A full summary report has been published, along with an individual report for each sub-sector.
The IMI has carried out ROI studies that have clearly demonstrated how investment in training can make a significant difference to improving business performance. Plus, a new CPD offer has been launched; developed to meet growing training needs, and for the first time brings courses covering subjects such as hybrid and electric vehicle technology, to those who previously couldn’t access these training opportunities.
