In a record year for its apprenticeship scheme Zenith Vehicle Contracts has hired 100% of its interns into permanent roles as the business moves to address the automotive industry’s skills shortage.

The SMMT has warned more than 50,000 skilled jobs in the motor industry must be created to stop Britain ‘falling off a cliff edge’ after Brexit and faces a skills crisis with 5,000 unfilled vacancies by 2020.

As the UK’s largest independent leasing, fleet management and vehicle outsourcing business Zenith has grown from eight employees at launch to over 650 today.

It launched the long running apprentice programme to ensure a pipeline of talent for the company. It works with schools and colleges to inspire students into a career in the fleet industry.

Marisa Waddington, HR director at Zenith, said: “Our apprenticeship programme aims to educate and inspire young people to support them into the fleet industry. Apprentices also take part in group work, away from the desk, to develop skills in line with company values. We set out with a target of retaining all of our apprentices, which after our first eight months, we are proud to have achieved.”

Zenith is shortlisted as a regional finalist in this year’s National Apprenticeship Awards. The awards recognise excellent businesses that grow their own talent and apprentices who have made a significant contribution to their workplaces.

Zenith designed the programme as a partnership between its current workforce and new apprentices, supporting both parties as they come together. It supports the development of the individual in completing their apprenticeship and developing awareness of the programme with the wider business and local community.