Alexander Forbes’ Adopt A Panel Shop initiative together with Motor Body Repairs Stakeholders launched a training and mentorship programme at Bulldog Abrasives Training Centre in Wynberg, Johannesburg. The programme will beef up the technical and business management skills of the six automotive repair businesses supported by this empowerment initiative.
The Adopt A Panel Shop campaign was initiated by Alexander Forbes in 2006. Its aim was to transform and grow the South African automotive repair industry. To date six black- owned automotive businesses have had premises and equipment upgrades. They have also been helped to conform with industry standards and achieve industry accreditation while being helped to access the mainstream automotive repair business.
As with all small businesses, however, the panel shops face training and mentorship challenges. As such, “we decided to invest training and mentoring in our existing beneficiaries to ensure that their businesses remained sustainable, competitive and profitable in the long term,” says Errol Masinga, Transformation Coordinator, Alexander Forbes Risk and Insurance Services.
That said, Alexander Forbes’ longer term strategy remains the transformation of South Africa’s automotive repair industry - by empowering previously disadvantaged panel shops with the “skills and resources necessary to compete within the mainstream automotive repair market” adds Masinga.
The current training and mentorship programme will improve efficiency, ensuring body and paint work repair processes meet quality standards while servicing customers through management systems that match the best in the industry.
While the training programme will be rolled out in four phases over a period of one year, “we will continue to offer our panel shops onsite training, technical support, body shop audits, paint, consumables, panel preparation and body shop maintenance on an ongoing basis” says Masinga.
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