RENAULT TRUCKS EXETER APPRENTICE CELEBRATES LOYALTY MILESTONE

At the age of 30, Ryan Thorne is already celebrating a significant career milestone, having worked more than half his life at his current employer, Renault Trucks South West (Exeter).  Originally starting out one day a week in a work experience role aged just 14, Ryan has risen through the ranks to become a workshop shift supervisor and has just been accepted on the Master Technician Programme, the pinnacle of the Renault Trucks training programme.

Exeter born and bred, Ryan has always been interested in everything automotive and was on a Motor Vehicle Course at school when he was first introduced to Renault Trucks, as he explains: “My Grandad was friends with the workshop foreman at the time and mentioned that there was an opportunity to do work experience at Renault Trucks in Exeter. I started there one day a week whilst still at school and moved on to the 3-year Renault Trucks Apprenticeship scheme when I left school at 16.”

The Renault Trucks apprentice programme was set up to address the industry-wide skills gap and for the Renault Trucks dealer network to attract young and motivated talent to the brand.  Many of the programme’s graduates have moved on to senior management positions in technical service, parts management and vehicle sales.

After completing his apprenticeship, Ryan progressed to become a fitter and is currently workshop shift supervisor, working in a team of 3 on alternate shifts. Significantly, Ryan has completed his Master Technician Programme assessment and has just received confirmation he can start on the course. The 18-month programme, awarded by the Institute of Motor Industry, is the highest technical level in the industry and plays a pivotal role in developing future senior industry talent.

Ryan attributes his success and long career with Renault Trucks to having the right training and people around him when he was an apprentice: “All of my managers have inspired me to be the best I possibly could be and Renault Trucks has given me the skills I needed to become fully qualified. The Apprentice scheme has been a fantastic stepping stone for my career and being given the go-ahead to start the Master Tech programme is an absolute honour.”

Having a secure vocation, as well the benefits of working with a diverse, dynamic and ambitious company, are some of the reasons Ryan has remained loyal to Renault Trucks, as he says: “I’ve been given so many opportunities including training courses, car, forklift and HGV licence, and ultimately my ambition is to progress to working on the technical side of the business.”

Dealer Principal, David Pearce says: “I’d like to congratulate Ryan on this amazing achievement and to thank him for his many years of hard work and loyalty to our dealership. Being a Renault Trucks employee means working for a brand with a huge range of highly developed products and services for an extremely demanding and varied customer base. Our industry is changing at a rapid pace and we need highly skilled and committed employees such as Ryan in our teams.”