Greater Manchester-headquartered car dealership firm Lookers is creating 180 new apprenticeship opportunities.
The Altrincham-based company said it is particularly looking to attract young female apprentices as part of its nationwide search, as it aims to build on its Female Apprenticeship Network, launched this year.
The placements at Lookers, one of the UK and Ireland’s leading car dealerships, include 25 in the North West, with the programme offering young people roles including customer facing to service technician roles.
Lookers said prospective applicants can choose from manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar Land Rover.
Lookers’ chief retail operations officer, Duncan McPhee, said: “Lookers is committed to apprenticeships as part of our continued investment to attract bright, young and ambitious talent into the business.
"We are delighted to offer 25 roles here in the North West as part of our national campaign to recruit 180 apprentices across the country, providing young people with the opportunity to build their confidence, skills and experience in a dynamic and continually evolving industry.
“The Lookers Apprenticeship Programme has enabled Lookers to develop many high calibre, talented individuals, many of whom have gone on to receive industry and national recognition in England, but the investment also demonstrates our confidence and ambition for the future despite the difficult challenges of this year.”
The programme recognised nationally as one of the top apprenticeship opportunities with Centrica Top 100 Apprenticeship employer status and as a Winner of the regional Macro Apprentice Employer of the Year.
Apprentices will join the business across a variety of roles, including parts advisors, service technicians and customer service advisors.
Matt Clay, group qualifications manager, added: “It’s a testament to the success of our investment in new talent for both Lookers and our apprentices that we’ve been able to offer an increased number of roles this year here in the North West.
"Not only do our apprenticeships enable us to help meet the future demands of our customers, we have also encouraged more young, talented women to join the business through this route. We were proud to have led the development of an Industry-wide Female Apprenticeship Network to help inspire the next generation of female leaders in the automotive industry.
"Encouraging greater diversity in our next generation of talent is a priority for Lookers."
