Copart Teams Up With Solus on Vehicle Repair Training

Copart UK and Solus have teamed up to help young engineers in both businesses improve their knowledge of the overall vehicle repair journey

Global leader in vehicle remarketing and recycling, Copart UK handles over 500,000 vehicles a year and is a long-term partner of Aviva, which owns the Solus accident repair network. The new student exchange programme with Solus forms an important part of Copart’s ongoing ‘Copart Cares’ CSR commitment to caring about teammates, customers, and communities.

Russ England, Copart UK’s engineering services manager, explained that the programme will give engineers in both businesses, including trainees and apprentices, the opportunity to upskill and build a greater knowledge of each other’s roles as part of the overall customer journey.

He said that five of Copart’s vehicle damage evaluators (VDE) took part in the first phase of the programme. Each VDE spent two days in a Solus accident repair centre, covering key topics including repair diagnostics, parts ordering, ADAS calibration, painting, panel work, and understanding the customer journey.

Russ said: “This programme supports our VDEs personal development and Thatcham apprenticeship training by exposing them to real-life bodyshop experiences which they would not normally get to see, and when we host Solus apprentices throughout 2022 they will also gain valuable insights into the salvage sector. Given the skills shortage within the sector, it’s great to give our young engineers a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the full policy holder customer journey to enable them to provide the best service possible.”

The first phase of the programme received fantastic feedback from the five attendees, who described the experience as positive, well-organised, and key to achieving more efficient engineering practices.

Ayode Duroshola, learning & development partner at Solus, added: “The opportunity to create an exchange programme, in partnership with Copart, is a significant learning and development milestone, which increases avenues for shared learning, collaborative working, and ensures continual professional development for both organisations.”

“The success of the first Copart cohort who found their time at Solus to be an extremely valuable experience, demonstrates that development projects such as this are vital in the sharing of knowledge and best practices, especially in a constantly evolving industry. As Solus continues to host Copart delegates throughout 2022, we look forward to our colleagues visiting Copart premises to help expand their knowledge and understanding for the benefit of the Aviva customer.”