A van centre manager from east Devon is celebrating becoming the first in the country to graduate from a new two year management training course.
Stephen Weedon, head of business at Carrs Volkswagen Van Centre in Exeter, recently completed a course launched by Volkswagen UK’s training academy to retain the top talent in the industry.
The 43-year-old, from Kingsteignton, has worked in the automotive industry for almost 20 years and has been with Carrs since 1993.
He said: “I am delighted to be one of the first to complete the course and impressed by how much knowledge I’ve gained.
“Support from colleagues at Carrs Volkswagen Van Centre has helped enormously and given me the time to study for this course.
“The qualification has given me extra information and experience to ensure customers are provided with the service they need from all staff.”
Stephen had to pass tough exams in law, customer service, product knowledge, coaching and recruitment to gain the NVQ Level 4 equivalent qualification.
The culmination of the course, which was assessed by exams and interviews, was a three month project which was presented to a panel of Volkswagen directors.
Stephen is one of only ten graduates from the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles scheme in the UK.