The RMI Academy of Automotive Skills is set to open a 15,000 square foot training facility in Coventry later this year. The new centre will widen access to the provider’s mix of MOT training, ADAS training and EV/hybrid courses, and from 2026 will increasingly cater for apprentices as well.
The new RMI Academy site will include a dedicated EV bay, a number of MOT bays and ADAS facilities. The building, currently a warehouse, will also contain up to five classrooms. Work on the new centre will begin during July, and the new centre is expected to open its doors in the early autumn. Once fully operational, the new site will replace the existing RMI Academy at Southam, which originally opened in 2016.
IGA Chief Executive Stuart James said: “By opening a brand-new RMI Academy site at Coventry, we are helping the sector to prepare for the future.”
Apprentice training will play an increasingly important role at the new site from next year, with the IGA launching a dedicated apprentice training scheme in 2026. “This is a real step forward that will bring new blood into our industry,” noted James.
Accessibility for apprentices and younger technicians was a key motivation for choosing the site, which is a short distance from Tile Hill railway station. “Many young trainees and apprentices are too young to drive,” observed James, “so it was critical that we opted for a site that could be reached by public transport.” With the building being bought outright by the RMI, the organisation will be moving its offices from its historic base in Rugby into the new site too.
Once operational, the new Coventry site will join the wider network of RMI Academies, currently based in Runcorn, Lincoln and Winchester. James concluded: “The RMI Academy of Automotive Skills operates on a not-for-profit basis under the umbrella of the trade body, and through our new centre we will be able to offer even more resources to support technicians and garages.”
For more information, visit: https://www.rmitrainingacademy.co.uk/
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