Award winning fleet solutions provider, Rivus has achieved IMI Approval for its Rivus Academy, a purpose-built training centre for LCV and HGV technicians.
After further investment by Rivus into its learning and development for LCV and HGV technicians, the Rivus Academy opened on 28 February 2023, following formal approval by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).
The purpose-built training centre is an extension of Rivus’ existing service, maintenance, and repair garage in Leeds. The training centre comprises a classroom style training facility, capable of delivering knowledge and theory-based learning for up to 16 people, as well as a fully equipped training workshop for practical training and assessment under test conditions. The Academy has been designed to deliver IMI approved hands on training for LCVs, including ICE, hybrid and fully-electric vehicles, as well as HGVs.
The Academy officially opened on 28 February 2023, after achieving IMI approval at the end of January. Its first cohort of technicians commenced the IMI Level 3 in Electrical/Hybrid Vehicle System Repair & Replacement on Tuesday 28 February.
The Rivus L&D team receiving its formal accreditation from the IMI.
l-r: Steven Figg, National Field Trainer (Rivus), James Haydon, Technical Training Manager (Rivus), Angus McDowall (Rivus) Michelle Barrett, Business Development Manager (IMI), James Oldroyd, Head of Learning & Development (Rivus)
James Haydon, Technical Training Manager at Rivus has been hands on in creating and launching the Rivus Academy. He comments: “This is a really exciting development for Rivus. The team has worked hard to get us to this point and we’re very proud of what we’ve achieved so far. We’ve built a new classroom training facility, had a training workshop fitted out with the necessary tools and equipment, as well as invested time and resource into upskilling our own training team to the required level. The site and all our training content has then been assessed and approved by the IMI and we have now achieved IMI Approval to deliver our own in-house training.”
The Academy has a Toyota Prius and a DAF HGV for technicians to complete their practical learning and assessment on, and the workshop is equipped with specialist high voltage tooling and PPE equipment for safe and compliant electric vehicle training and assessment. Initially Rivus will focus on delivering one and two day courses for IMI Levels 1, 2 and 3 in Electric/Hybrid Vehicle Awareness, Routine Maintenance and System Repair and Replacement, as well as the IRTEC Large Commercial Vehicle Inspection licence. The business has clear plans to rapidly expand the portfolio of training qualifications available through the Rivus Academy.
Rivus Academy first cohort of technicians being trained on working on electric vehicles safely.
The idea for the Rivus Academy came from Victoria Knight, Chief Executive Officer (Interim) in her previous role at Rivus as Group HR Director.
“Developing our in-house talent and providing development opportunities for the Rivus team is paramount to the success of our business and forms a significant part of our strategy to grow our own talent to help overcome the current technician skills gap. At any one time, our technicians need to be multi-skilled and qualified to work on a wide range of vehicle types across HGV, LCV, alternative fuels and refrigerated vehicles because of the complex range of critical feels that we manage for our customers.
“We’ve collaborated fully with the IMI on the design of our training courses and our IMI Approval now means we can be much more flexible and agile. It reduces our costs, and because we are approved to deliver practical and theoretical training ourselves, it means we can take our technician training on the road and deliver on site at our garage locations around the UK, removing the need for our colleagues to travel and be off site. We can now deliver the bespoke training that our technicians need, as well as deliver IMI Approved training courses to other businesses that are struggling to plug the technician skills gap.
The Rivus Academy was officially opened by Victoria Knight, CEO at Rivus on 28 February 2023.
l-r: Carl Belcher, Operational Trainer, Victoria Knight, CEO (Interim), James Haydon (Technical Training Manager), Steven Figg (National Field Trainer)
As part of its current programme of colleague learning and development, Rivus is already signed up to IMI TechSafe™ and has technicians based throughout its garage network that are qualified to IMI Level 3 or 4 in in Electric/Hybrid Vehicle System Repair and Replacement. Rivus expects to train in excess of 500 more technicians to the same standards over the next 3 years, so the business has the ongoing knowledge and expertise to manage alternative fuel fleets.
Any businesses interesting in finding out more on how Rivus Academy can help with LCV and HGV technician training should email rivusacademy@rivusgroup.co.uk.