Colin Appleyard, which retails Suzukis from four points in Yorkshire and Lancashire, has launched a vocational development programme to provide career opportunities and skills improvements for its staff.

It has partnered with Yorkshire Sales and Marketing Developments, which will provide the formal training for the group's trainee sales executives in both its car and motorcycle businesses.

Two new in-house training initiatives will run alongside the sales training: leadership coaching for existing management, in conjunction with The Blue Water Partnership; and a continuous knowledge improvement scheme to keep sales and aftersales staff aware of product developments and procedures.