Part of a three-strong network of UK academies – which includes Manchester and Dublin – the new £1.4 million Slough site is the realisation of a year-long plan by Unetversity training director Andy Rowe and his team.

Fiat Group’s Unetversity scheme operates across all the Group’s brands, in all countries, worldwide. It supports the company’s global strategy to raise core competencies.

Launched in the UK in 2009, Unetversity has been restructured in the UK to offer a refreshed collection of high-tech training, leading to certification for each role. This includes a comprehensive suite of web-based learning, creating a library of nearly 100 individual modules registering over 5000 completions in 2010. Already recognised as a training centre of excellence, Unetversity recently added Chrysler and Jeep to the coaching work it already does with Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Fiat Professional and Abarth.

With 22,000 square feet of floor space, the new Slough site is a bright, airy environment. Seven sound-insulated classrooms, each fitted with the latest ‘Smartboard’ technology,  offer perfect surroundings for theory instruction, while the workshop on the ground floor boasts six learning centres allowing delegates to get more ‘hands-on’ experience.

“We help people to discover information themselves – as discovery leads to a more permanent learning experience,” says Andy Rowe. “From the moment you walk into the new training centre, you get a feel for what we are trying to do. Its light, minimalist appearance and superb classroom areas create a feeling of professionalism throughout. Our aim is to help each delegate realise their full potential. We are now training more people than ever before and doing it better than ever before, and I am looking forward to many years of great success here.”

Unetversity Slough was officially opened by Andrew Humberstone, managing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK, and Alberto Trabucco, Unetversity Training Academy Manager.