Investing in our people
Over the past three years, we have invested significantly in a group-wide learning and development programme to empower our employees to learn, innovate, and provide exceptional customer service.
We remain at the forefront of advancing automotive technology through industry-leading technical training, development, and apprenticeship schemes.
Recruiting and developing talent
Our focus is on developing talent and building the capabilities needed for long term success. Key priorities include increasing the number of ‘ready now’ successors, ensuring robust succession plans are in place, offering progression routes that allow all our people to realise their potential and embedding a high-performance culture.
We have worked hard to ensure we recruit and nurture talent from diverse communities, and to ensure a balanced technical and behavioural training mix.
We are also reducing the average age of our technician population through the success of the early careers programme, which will help to deliver longer term sustainable growth.
6%
Reduction in voluntary attrition since FY2024
41yrs vs 54yrs
Average age of technician FY25 vs FY23
33%
of roles filled internally, encouraging career progression
115%
increase in advanced apprentices vs FY2024
Early careers
We continually invest in developing and promoting an early careers programme that attracts young people to our industry and provides them with an inspiring and rewarding career.
We believe that high-quality and rewarding apprenticeships and trainee experiences will reduce the number of internal vacancies and secure a talent pipeline to support our ambitious business growth plans.
Our mentor development programme also stepped up this year, with 78 mentors trained through 14 CMI recognised sessions, together with 36 team leaders at FMG RS trained to better support incoming apprentices.
Alongside this we grew internal enrolment on advanced apprenticeships by 115%, supporting 82 colleagues to progress and upskill within the business.
Externally, our Early Careers team reached over 4,200 students through careers fairs, school engagement events and digital panels, such as the Thrive Apprenticeship Live, streamed to 26 schools. This has strengthened our community outreach and is helping position ZIGUP as a purposeful employer brand.
Early careers apprentices & interns
UK & Ireland
225
Up 71% to 225
Spain
217
Up 50% to 217
Technical skills and capability
There are increasing skills gaps in the EV mobility ecosystem, particularly in repair and maintenance. The need to remain at the forefront of advancing automotive technology has shaped our organisational training programmes, with vocational training and instruction programmes becoming increasingly essential to service and repair complex vehicles.
Our Technical Training Academies have played a pivotal role in upskilling both internal and external teams. Over the past year, we have delivered substantial face-to-face and e-learning training, with a strong emphasis on EV technologies and foundational technical skills.
Within our bodyshop repair business, our focus has been on meeting the rising demand for advanced technical skills, particularly in EV technologies and sustainable repair solutions. Investments in ADAS calibration and plastic repair are ensuring our workforce meets the latest standards and customer needs.
Management development and succession planning
Our new talent management strategy aims to establish a more robust and diverse leadership pipeline.
Our goal is to promote from within whenever possible, equipping our people with the knowledge and confidence to advance their careers.
We have a clear definition of potential and performance, aligning leadership objectives with DE&I, customer experience, and ESG priorities.
We prioritise leadership development focusing on empathy, ethical decision making, and cultural competence. Our digital upskilling programs in data literacy, cyber security, and ethical AI prepare teams to thrive in a fast-changing environment.
