THE DUKE of York opened Bosch's new multi-million pound training centre in Uxbridge on Wednesday, 12 December. The new Service Training Centre (STC) has been built to satisfy demand for the firm's automotive training courses from the UK aftermarket industry.

His Royal Highness visited the training centre as part of his drive to promote businesses that support apprenticeship programmes and the development of employability skills.

Bosch's previous training centre at its Denham site is oversubscribed, but the new, 2,000 square metre construction on Riverside Way will train 4,500 vehicle technicians every year in a mixture of classroom and workshop areas, quadrupling the capacity. Training courses can also be delivered via the internet thanks to the training centre's webinar facilities.

Robin Shaw, divisional director of Bosch Automotive Aftermarket said: "We are delighted to be opening this new facility in Uxbridge and are proud to be expanding both Bosch's footprint in the local area and its training offering to the UK automotive aftermarket sector."

The new facilities will allow both independent garages, including the national Bosch Car Service network, and franchised garages access to the latest automotive technology training courses.