Swansway Motor Group has launched a new in-house training programme, with six new recruits joining its Blackburn and Preston Audi centres.

They will take part in a six-month training programme, receiving both in-house and brand training, becoming fully-accredited Audi sales executives.

The new trainees come from different backgrounds, with experience of different types of roles rather than sales.

“We were looking to recruit for the right attitude and so we had no preconceived ideas about previous sales or motor trade experience,” said Scott Walker, Swansway Group sales training manager.

Walker was responsible for putting the programme together and whittled down more than 500 applicants to 24, who came to an assessment day in June.

“On the day we ran a group exercise, role play and also structured interviews and from that we offered the roles to our six new trainees,” added Walker.

Walker said: “What they do have in common is they’re full of enthusiasm and up for some hard work, in short, they just have a great attitude, which makes them ideal Swansway family members.”

One of the trainees, Ellis Bunney, was a trainee solicitor before joining the programme, he said the entire process has been “extremely motivating.”

Another trainee, Harriet Evans, studied Astrophysics at university, she said: “Just meeting the team behind the scenes and learning about how the sales process works has been eye-opening. I feel this is an amazing opportunity to be taught by the best in the business and I feel very lucky to work for a first class, luxury brand.”

Alongside its trainee programme, the family-owned AM100 dealer group employs almost 70 apprentices across its twenty locations.

Picture caption: (L-R) Elliot Danson, Harriet Evans, Ellis Bunney, of Swansway Audi Blackburn.