ARI Fleet UK has teamed up with Learning Resources International (LRI)  to offer further training for its Masterserve Automotive Academy.

The Academy is a long-established nationwide network of 500 independent garages that undertake service, maintenance and repair work on the company’s fleet.

It was founded almost three years ago with the focus on apprenticeships for young people, providing on the job and in the classroom training in partnership with motor industry training specialist Remit.

LRI will now provide a wide range of bespoke motor industry and vehicle-related courses, as well as a wide range of business-focused courses.

The online courses are all designed to help Masterserve garages - the majority of which are family owned businesses - to further their potential and that of their staff.

The toolbox of courses developed by LRI can be split into two.

Firstly, courses designed to make garages more efficient relating to issues such as forward planning, succession planning, maximising the potential of staff, customer service and quality, health and safety, leadership and management, IT skills and personal and professional development.

Secondly, there are courses specifically relating to the motor industry such as technical training, health and safety notably in connection with new vehicle technology such as hybrid and electric vehicles, common rail diesel technology, vehicle diagnostics and staff recruitment and retention.

The initiative has been developed by ARI in partnership with the Masterserve Steering Group, which is composed of garage representatives.

Phil Todd, network manager, said: “The length of each course varies and because it is e-learning it means that garage owners, managers and staff can complete them at their convenience either at work or in their own time.

“Some of the courses will act as refreshers, while others will provided completely new information and thought processes for the way work and businesses is carried out.”