The Motor Ombudsman has introduced an online training course on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), tailored to the requirements of garages.

From today (May 25), the EU’s Data Protection Directive 1995 and the UK’s Data Protection Act 1998, will be replaced by the new piece of legislation.

The Motor Ombudsman’s e-learning course on GDPR has been introduced following a recent study by the organisation, which revealed that 80% of automotive businesses surveyed do not have a good understanding of GDPR, with a similar proportion feeling unprepared ahead of the arrival of the new rules.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)-approved module is tailored specifically to organisations operating in the motor industry, and has been designed to help them to better understand their responsibilities and to ensure full compliance with the Regulation.

It takes 45 minutes to complete and includes a series of multiple choice questions.

Upon successfully finishing the session, participants will receive a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certificate.

Sureyya Cansoy, head of business services and engagement at The Motor Ombudsman, said: “The GDPR is a significant piece of legislation affecting the working methods and obligations of businesses when it comes to the handling of data.

"We therefore wanted to create an easy-to-navigate and interactive training module that is relevant to organisations operating within an automotive environment.

"This will allow users to gain a solid grasp of what constitutes best practice going forward. We expect the course to be in demand following the high number of enquiries on the GDPR that we have seen in recent weeks.”

Guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) advises that all organisations provide initial and refresher training for staff so that they fully understand their responsibilities under the new rules.