Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Nissan motor company, will give this year’s Automotive Academy annual lecture.

Ghosn is flying to London especially to deliver the academy lecture on July 29.

The Automotive Academy is a partnership between the Government, the automotive industry, the education sector and training providers.

Ghosn says: "Training is more vital to our industry now than ever before. I welcome the initiative of the Automotive Academy and it will be a pleasure for me to give the 2004 lecture."

Patricia Hewitt MP, the trade and industry secretary, will also address the audience of around 200 key leaders from industry, academia and funding providers.

The Automotive Academy has its headquarters in Birmingham and will eventually operate through a network of regional ‘spokes’, covering the UK. Three are now operating: Skills4Auto in the Midlands; the North East, which covers the region that includes Nissan’s plant in Sunderland and the North West, with offices in Preston.

Alan Begg, the academy’s newly appointed chief executive, says: "It’s a privilege to have someone of the calibre of Ghosn to give the lecture. This reflects the high level of support the industry is giving us."