Barnsley College’s automotive team get special insight at South Yorkshire Police facilities

By special invitation, Barnsley College’s automotive teaching team visited South Yorkshire Police’s motor vehicle provision for a VIP tour of the workshop.

The visit saw the team experience an in-depth look at the work carried out on the fleet of transport vehicles to keep things running smoothly, broadening the teaching team’s knowledge of the industry even wider.

Barnsley College offers Automotive Technologies (Motor Vehicle) qualifications at Level 2, Level 3 and as an apprenticeship or T Level (Technical qualification), all taught by staff with a wealth of industry knowledge and experience.

The experience allowed staff to have a special look into the specific automotive work and skills needed within the police force, enabling them to share this knowledge through their teaching practice.

Darren Speight, Automotive Course Leader at Barnsley College, said:

“During a very successful visit to the workshops, our department had a very informative meeting which explained how they met the transport needs of the officers; including some very well cared for police horses.

“This was followed by a VIP tour of the workshops, including the type of work and skills needed to carry out tasks on the fleet.

“We are looking forward to working with the team in the future and would particularly like to thank Sarah Gilding, Head of the Joint Vehicle Fleet Management Department for South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, for her extremely generous hospitality during our visit.”

Nick Marshall, Head of Engineering at Barnsley College, added:

“Our automotive team’s visit to South Yorkshire Police’s facilities is a great example of how we are building relationships with local employers.

“Our staff getting special insights like this has great knock-on effects enhancing the team’s continuous personal development to ensure that they are at the cutting edge of what it is going on in industry.

“This allows our staff teams to share their experiences with our students to enhance the curriculum and the students’ experience at College. 

“I’d like to say a big thank you to South Yorkshire Police for inviting the team.”