Midlands Truck & Van gives college students "invaluable" lesson

Mercedes-Benz CV dealership Midlands Truck & Van opened its doors to local students in Birmingham and gave them a taste of a working life in truck sales.

The 20 guests from Halesowen College were given a tour of the dealer’s Smethwick depot followed by a coaching session from directors Alex Hillman and Michael Carolan, as well as lunch and a bag of branded merchandise.

Both directors drove home how they began as trainees before working their way up the ranks to reach their current level, responsible for large departments and big budgets, as well as a say in the strategic leadership of the business.

“We’re always on the lookout for bright, enthusiastic, hard-working people to join our organisation and help move us forward,” said Hillman.

“We take apprentices of various ages across a range of disciplines,” added Carolan.

“There are some basic requirements but perhaps even more important is a person’s dedication and drive to succeed both personally and for the wider business.”

One student, 17-year-old Pavlos Siskamanis, said: “I didn’t realise there were so many different specialisms within a vehicle dealership. It’s not just sales people, there are technicians too but also administrators, marketing experts, accounts staff and others.”

Halesowen College business community engagement lead Kam Nijjar described the visit as “invaluable”.

“They really help to allow students to see for themselves what sort of opportunities are open to them, if they are prepared to work hard enough, and give them a motivational target to aim for.”