Local MP, Justin Tomlinson, has highlighted the importance of the automotive industry during a visit to the Pebley Beach car dealership at the West Swindon Motor Park.
Swindon has a rich engineering heritage and following on from the vital role played by the railway industry, the motor industry is now an essential part of the town's identity, with almost 4,000 highly-skilled engineers and technicians employed at Honda in South Marston and BMW in Stratton St. Margaret. In addition, qualified mechanics and technicians across the town ensure that vehicles are maintained to the highest possible standard.
The automotive industry as a whole employs 731,000 in the UK and last year nearly 1.6 million vehicles were produced, generating around £59.3bn for the economy.
Justin was invited to the centre by Managing Director, Dominic Threlfall, to see how the business has grown in recent years and to meet with apprentices who are in training to become qualified motor mechanics. In addition, Justin discussed the need to ensure that mechanics and technician who service and repair vehicles are properly registered and regulated.
Justin Tomlinson MP said: "The motor industry is an integral part of Swindon and I was delighted to visit Pebley Beach to meet with Dominic and his team to see what a success the business is. One of the most important parts to the automotive industry is having highly-skilled, highly-qualified staff and it was fantastic to meet apprentices learning new skills from industry experts!"
