Rolls-Royce Welcomes Business Secretary At Goodwood Festival Of Speed

GOODWOOD, UNITED KINGDOM – July 15, 2013: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars welcomed the Business Secretary, Vince Cable, to the company’s stand at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this morning. Mr Cable talked with Rolls-Royce apprentices and graduates and took the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the company’s latest model, Wraith.

Mr Cable visited the stand with Richard Parry-Jones, Co-Chairman of the Automotive Council, and The Earl of March, founder of the Festival of Speed, following the launch of a new automotive industrial strategy to media earlier in the morning.

Mr Cable said: “A skilled workforce is what keeps Britain's automotive sector competitive. Companies like Rolls-Royce Motor Cars have long recognised the value of offering apprenticeships and have a proud record of putting young people on exciting and rewarding career paths.” He continued: “The new automotive industrial strategy sets out how we will address skills gaps in the industry and we are producing a ‘skills roadmap’. Automotive Council members are expecting to provide an extra 7600 apprenticeships and 1700 graduate opportunities over the next five years. We are committed to improving current and future training programmes across all levels of the sector.”

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: “Rolls-Royce was delighted to welcome the Business Secretary and to share with him our new model, Wraith. We were gratified by his positive comments about our Apprenticeship and Graduate Programmes and his recognition of Rolls-Royce as a British manufacturing success story.”

Rolls-Royce has a history of supporting new talent in manufacturing. The company’s Apprenticeship Programme was successfully launched in 2006 and provides people aged 16-24 with the opportunity to train with the world’s leading manufacturer of super-luxury cars. In addition to the Apprenticeship Programme, more than 100 young men and women were employed with the company in 2012 on industrial placements ranging in duration from six to 12 months. The company also runs a successful Graduate Programme, with new positions made available each year.