LKQ Academy launches industry-first virtual reality training for independent garages
LKQ Academy has unveiled the aftermarket’s first virtual reality (VR) training programme, providing an immersive new alternative to e-learning to support garage staff to upskill in crucial disciplines without losing time to travel.
The programme, prototyped at Automechanika Birmingham, represents the latest evolution in LKQ Academy’s mission to deliver innovative, high-quality training to the independent aftermarket. It introduces a virtual world designed specifically for workshop learning, allowing technicians to engage with tools, vehicles, and procedures in a fully interactive environment.
Initial VR courses will cover critical topics including high-voltage isolation on hybrid vehicles, ADAS calibration, four-wheel alignment, and electrical fundamentals.
The training is all set within a virtual version of LKQ’s technical training centre in Tamworth UK. Trainees will be able to handle tools, walk around vehicles, and perform procedures step-by-step in VR, rather than passively watching videos on a screen.
The option is the latest addition to the LKQ Academy’s fast-growing programme of over 300 e-learning courses. More than 90 in-person LKQ Academy courses are available across 34 UK sites and range from delivering the skills needed to service hybrid and electric vehicles, to helping support staff to become more adept at handling customers’ queries and providing a best-in-class customer experience.
Lee Chapman, Head of Support and LKQ Academy, said: “This is next-level learning for the aftermarket. We’ve listened to garages who want practical training but can’t spare the time to leave the workshop. VR lets us bring the training to them, in a way that’s engaging, realistic and genuinely valuable for the business.
“It’s novel approaches like this that will help us to address key skills challenges in the industry: with only 2% of the UK’s automotive technician workforce currently trained in ADAS-equipped vehicles, for example. VR is an exciting addition to our vast training portfolio, and we can’t wait to welcome technicians into our new virtual world.”