October 2009
The Autodistribution Group signs an agreement with ANFA(1) and GNFA(2) for the training of AD Expert garage technicians An alliance to promote the skills and expertise of car repairers
In an increasingly complex technological environment, the Autodistribution Group – French and European leader in the independent distribution of car and HGV parts – is working to ensure the repairers in its AD Expert network are highly qualified. As the leading European repair network with 434 garages in our territory, the AD Expert network carries out standard maintenance and also undertakes the most complex operations on all vehicles, whatever the make.
The Autodistribution Group therefore decided to turn to the GNFA and ANFA to offer training sessions perfectly suited to the new demands of the market. Organised and managed by the AD institute (a training centre created by the Autodistribution Group for independent car distributors and repairers wishing to strengthen technical workshop skills), this training will be given by region, by GNFA trainers.
GNFA and ANFA, two highly esteemed partners
The presence alongside the Autodistribution Group of these two key institutions in the automotive field is a guarantee of performance. For seven months, the AD Institute and the GNFA worked together to define the skill set to be imparted and to define the content of their training to ensure it is at the leading edge of current technologies.
"This partnership is the culmination of several months' work. It is a testimony to the desire of the GNFA to work in partnership with the premier independent repairer network by giving them access to the experience and professionalism of our trainers …We therefore await with anticipation the arrival in our 16 regional training centres of the members of the AD expert network to put this partnership into motion, so we can start to develop it and ensure it is a lasting collaboration" stated the GNFA.
The partnership with the ANFA also ensures that customer garages are safely looked after and that the training is easy to access without red tape.
These elements will help to increase the AD Expert network garages' desire to receive training and incorporate the Group's training policy in the long term.
Autodistribution's commitment via the AD institute in a structured approach to the development of skills and maintaining the employability of staff is a strategic objective in the training policy of the Automobile Services Branch. It is also a form of guarantee for employees in small organisations that do not always have the means to undertake this approach on its own", emphasises the ANFA.
Training from 6 to 14 days subsidised by Autodistribution up to 30%. The three fields of expertise selected to train the repairers are "petrol injection", "diesel injection" and "comfort and safety".
The skills imparted during these sessions require basic knowledge of electricity and on-board electronics. Before joining the course, each technician must first acquire the necessary expertise via a course called "Electricity and electronics." This "core syllabus" is divided into two distinct programmes depending on whether or not the technician has a professional baccalaureate.
All the training programmes, which last from six to fourteen days, are organised into sessions of two consecutive days each month. Once the course is completed, AUTODISTRIBUTION will reimburse each participating Expert garage 30% (before tax) of the total cost of their participation.
"We would like to thank the ANFA and GNFA teams for their support and professionalism, without which we would not have been able to bring these training sessions to fruition" explains Christophe Laurent-Atthalin, Director General of the Autodistribution Group. Ensuring a high level of expertise for car repairers, and therefore enabling them to meet the needs of an increasingly high-tech market, is for us the best way of supporting them. In this way we are contributing to the competitiveness of the car repair workshops, our primary objective as the network leader," he concluded.
The Autodistribution Group in brief
The Autodistribution Group is a French and European leader in the independent distribution of car and heavy goods vehicle parts. Alongside its distribution activities, the Autodistribution Group is also the number one independent car repairer via its brands Garage AD and Garage Expert, AutoPrimo, Staff Auto, Auto Service AD, Carrosserie AD, Centre Technique Automobile and number one HGV repairer with its AD PL Garages and Outlets.
The Autodistribution Group was established in 1962, employs a staff of 6,500 and is projected a turnover of 1.1 billion euros in 2008. The company has a presence in Poland via its subsidiary AD Polska and in Italy via its subsidiary Parts Distribuzione Italia, and holds minority interests in the Netherlands and Morocco.
Press contact:
Nathalie Dunoir
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1 Association Nationale pour la Formation Automobile (French national association for automobile training)
2 Groupement National pour la Formation Automobile, (French national association for automobile training)
Accord_ANFA_GNFA.pdf