Truck Manufacturer Honoured by Royalty for Training Effort

UK – Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK is celebrating after being commended for its commitment to training and skills development, by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal at a ceremony at St James’s Palace in London. Mercedes-Benz was one of 34 organisations honoured with a Princess Royal Training Award by successfully linking their business performance with the development of their staff’s skills, and demonstrating that training can make a significant contribution to productivity and business success.

The judges were particularly impressed by Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ initiative to recruit a new sales force and that the company’s 26-week training programme, which includes the wise precaution of actually teaching trainees to drive a truck, and which has doubled its number of female trainees and achieved a 78% retention rate since 2011. The insistence on ‘hands on’ training makes absolute sense as no road haulage operator worth their salt wants to spend the sort of money a new truck costs under advisement from someone who has never actually even sat in the cab!

The Princess Royal Training Awards are new honours presented by the City & Guilds Group to employers in the UK who have created outstanding training and skills development, resulting in exceptional commercial benefit. Each of the 110 applications was assessed against three ‘Hallmark’ standards of excellence by the Princess Royal Training Awards Commission, which comprised HRH The Princess Royal and ten leading figures from the business and learning and development community. Vincente Connolly, Director National Sales Mercedes-Benz and FUSO Trucks UK, said:

“I am delighted that our dedication to training and development has been recognised in this way. At Mercedes-Benz Trucks, we place a premium on ensuring that our employees have the chance to learn and grow in their roles. We understand that this is not only good for them, but is also vital to the success of the business.”

Photo: Royal appointment: Vincente Connolly receives the Princess Royal Training Award from Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal.