Mr Motorvation's eyes on the prize

A VISION to help youngsters gain skills and qualifications to succeed in the motor industry has helped a courageous businessman create an ever-expanding company.

Motorvation Training was launched by Darren Barker two years ago. He works alongside his father Don, specialising in teaching young people motor vehicle courses, right from the basics, up to completing an apprenticeship.

After looking at various commercial properties, in 2009 the family business found the current premises in Merrick Business Park in east Hull. The company leases this site from commercial property agents Garness Jones.

Over the past two years, Motorvation Training has continued to expand and develop as a motor industry training provider in the region.

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As well as creating more space in the premises to teach, there has also been an IT suite built on-site and the business is making further plans to expand even further, to accommodate some 140 students who pass through its doors every week.

Mr Barker said: "We have had to do building work to accommodate more students and we've expanded a lot recently to make space for these students coming to us."

From children who are still studying at school to those who are doing an apprenticeship, the business works alongside its students to help them gain the necessary qualifications to get them into work.

Once students participate in their apprenticeship, Motorvation Training will help them source a job.

Mr Barker said: "We introduce our students to the garages – the system works very successfully."

Mr Barker said that the company is now looking to expand even further to accommodate more classroom space to meet the demand from students.

He said: "We are expanding at such a fantastic pace.

"In the next two years we can see our business doubling in size from how it is now. It has already more than doubled in size since we first opened but we can see it growing even more.

"It is all about building the company up and seeing how we go.

"We have got a very, very good name out there and people recognise what we offer."

Mr Barker said getting students into employment is the main aim of the business.

He said: "We are a company who believes in the students and that is the most important thing.

"We do our upmost to get people into work. It is all about the student and what we can offer."

The success has been something which was unexpected when the business first launched.

Mr Barker said: "When we first opened the business there were just two classrooms and we thought that would be enough but we had to build extra classrooms straight away.

"We were expecting to have 40 students in total but every week it is growing more and more.

"I don't think any of us could envisage how much it has grown. It has been phenomenal."

The training provider has recently employed a tutor to teach the young people maths and English to help them into the world of work and it also works with Hull City Council-run Smart Moves scheme which takes pupils attending class less than 80 per cent of the time where schools have run out of options to address their behaviour. It is an effort to get them some qualifications.

The success and developments Motorvation Training has achieved has now seen it nominated for this year's Mail News & Media Business Awards in Business of the Year (Small) and Start-Up Business of the Year.