The Stoneacre Motor Group has celebrated the graduation of a further 48 aspiring automotive operators from its Ofsted-accredited Academy.

The Academy, based at the group’s head office in Thorne, Doncaster, hosted its third graduation ceremony and welcomed its new batch of recruits into the business after completing courses covering Business Administration, Customer Service and Team leading.

A total of 103 students have now graduated from the Academy since it was started two-and-a-half years ago, achieving 94% retention of its apprentices, with 17 of the learners now holding management positions.

Shaun Foweather, Stoneacre managing director, said: “It is Stoneacre’s ambition to grow its own managers from within the business and I see the future success of the company lie with having a skilled and motivated workforce. 

“We are very proud of the graduates that have passed through the Academy and we look forward to welcoming them into management positions in the future.”

The Academy is the first step for many of the students towards an exciting and rewarding career within the motor trade and, at the same time, working towards a nationally recognised qualification. The graduation evening was all about recognising the students and sharing their achievements with their families.

Academy manager, Claire Rooms, recently spoke at AM’s People Conference. She said: “We really feel that we are providing top-class learning that will put them on the path to a career for life.”