Bentley apprentice wins top VW award

VW, which owns the top peoples' car brand, makes the annual award to its top apprentices from all over the world. Bentley's Louis Warburton, apprentice ambassador for the UK's National Apprenticeship Service and a junior engineer, was one of the apprentices from twelve countries recognised for outstanding professional competence. The awards were presented by Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, chairman of Volkswagen, Dr. Horst Neumann, member of the board of management responsible for Human Resources, and Bernd Osterloh, President of the Global Group Works Council (pictured with Louis) at a ceremony in Stuttgart. In the UK, Bentley has seen a 300 per cent increase in apprenticeship applications in 2011. Christine Gaskell, Bentley Motors' member of the board for personnel, said, "Bentley has always been strongly committed to skills development and apprenticeships and is very active in promoting careers in the industry. This award for Louis is testament to his own passion and enthusiasm and to the commitment of the Company in developing the very best from all our staff." Apart from attending the Best Apprentice Award ceremony, the young people are also taking part in a programme that includes a visit to the Porsche plant, museum and training centre for automotive mechatronics fitters and a driver safety training session.