Enterprise has become the first company to subscribe to ecademy, the new online vehicle technical learning programme from Thatcham Research.

The ecademy programme consists of 12 interactive modules which are completed over the course of a year. Key subjects include Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and calibration, hybrid and electric vehicles and headlamp technology.

Developed by technical experts, ecademy offers users 24-hour access on any device saving time and money for businesses investing in staff training. This allows delegates on the course to access the very latest technical material in a way that is more convenient for them.

Ecademy will support more than 100 Enterprise employees from vehicle damage assessors, field repair network supervisors, to managers and maintenance approval support teams.

The programme is available 24/7 and will help maintain a broad level of technical awareness across a range of automotive topics, and keep employees up-to-date with developments on new vehicles in their fleet, says Thatcham.

Enterprise's head of vehicle repair for UK and Ireland, Nick Sweetman, explained: “Thatcham Research’s ecademy online training programme has been a real game changer for us.

"The technical content provided ensures that staff are well-informed on the latest vehicle technology, from Advanced Driver Assistance Systems to electric and hybrid vehicles.

"Enterprise is committed to making sure that staff receive technical training and ecademy is one way that we can do this cost-effectively, without taking our people out of the business."

He continued: “Employee feedback on ecademy has been really positive. It accommodates different learning patterns, allowing one module per month to be completed at a time that suits workloads. It’s become a vital resource that users can return to continually for reference.”

Features of ecademy include:

• CPD-approved interactive modules in subjects such as ADAS and calibration, hybrid and electric vehicles and vehicle design and materials
• Progress tracking via learner and manager dashboards
• Access to additional Thatcham Research resources such as new vehicle releases and technical bulletins

Thatcham Research's head of repair sector services, Dean Lander, said: “The development of new technology on vehicles is incredibly rapid. It’s an exciting time for the automotive sector, but it also presents businesses, from rental and leasing firms to bodyshops, carmakers and OEMs, with a significant challenge.

"Maintaining technical competency is key and when it comes to the technical issues associated with repair, businesses don’t want staff to get left behind. Our ecademy programme provides the knowledge required to keep pace but does so at the convenience of the user.”