Search News

News Stories

1-10 of 217 articles found

Talk the torque in the Cytech Tech Forum

Cytech, the internationally recognised training and accreditation scheme for bicycle technicians, has launched a new Facebook group - the Cytech Tech Forum –...

11 Mar 2024, more…

BikeBiz editor gets hands on with Cytech technical one

Daniel Blackham, editor of industry magazine BikeBiz, has been writing about his experience of completing the Cytech technical one qualification at training provider Spokes People in Milton...

8 Mar 2024, more…

JE James Cycles to open first Barnsley store

ACT member and Cytech-accredited retailer JE James Cycles – one of the largest independent cycle retailers in Europe – is to open a new 7,874 sq ft store shop in Barnsley town...

7 Mar 2024, more…

Activate Cycle Academy welcomes British Cycling to Cytech technical one training course

Cytech partner Activate Cycle Academy, the largest and most recognised training provider of bike maintenance and technical training courses to the UK’s cycle industry, recently welcomed a...

6 Mar 2024, more…

Local Bike Shop Day 2024 confirmed for Saturday May 4th.

The ACT is happy to confirm the date for Local Bike Shop Day 2024 as Saturday 4 May, the weekend of the early May Bank Holiday.

29 Feb 2024, more…

ACT tells Parliamentary Committee of the need for urgent systemic change to the Cycle to Work scheme.

With more than 500 cycle businesses having now signed up to its campaign for change to the Cycle to Work scheme, a delegation from the Association of Cycle Traders has met with All Party...

25 Jan 2024, more…

OPSS takes enforcement action over dangerous e-bike battery.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is taking enforcement action and warning consumers about a brand of e-bike battery – UPP – that has been linked to a number of...

24 Jan 2024, more…

Cytech training to help Go Outdoors boost number of cycle mechanics by offering apprenticeships to store staff.

Go Outdoors, which operates 75 stores across the UK, has announced an apprenticeship scheme involving Cytech training with the aim of addressing what it terms a nationwide shortage of...

15 Jan 2024, more…

Cytech Scotland training provider launches Young Bike Mechanic Programme to empower Glasgow’s youth.

Bike for Good, the Glasgow-based cycling charity and social enterprise, which delivers Cytech training in Scotland, has announced a Young Bike Mechanic Programme designed to create opportunities...

3 Jan 2024, more…

Re-Accreditation of Torq Zone Academy: Meeting QCTO Standards for Excellence

Torq Zone Academy, a leading institution of vocational training in South Africa, has been re-accredited by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), for another five years, to offer...

27 Nov 2023, more…

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next

Cycle employers come together to develop apprenticeship standard

Back to news menu

Cycle employers come together to develop apprenticeship standard

Posted on 28 Sep 2017

A group of retailers and suppliers have submitted a draft proposal to the Institute for Apprentices in a bid to develop a new cycle maintenance apprenticeship standard.

Spearheaded by the Association of Cycle Trades (ACT), ATG Training and Cycle-R, a Cycle Mechanic Trailblazer group consisting of over 10 employers in the cycle industry has been formed to create the two new Apprenticeship Standards - Cycle Mechanic and Senior Cycle Mechanic. The majority of the group is formed of independent retailers, with some additional representation from larger retailers, key suppliers and members of the cycle industry's trade body.

The new standards build on the content of the already established and successful cycle maintenance apprenticeship, which has had input from international brands and training providers making it a universally agreed standard.

The draft proposal has now been submitted to the Institute for Apprentices so no more contributions can be made to the content. The proposal will be reviewed by the Institute and, if accepted, will become the new standard for cycle maintenance apprenticeships going forwards.

Previously, the cycle maintenance apprenticeship frameworks were more engineering led, but the new standards, which are employer led, will better reflect the reality of what it means to be a cycle mechanic. The aim of the new standard is to take the best of the current successful apprenticeships and add to it the rest of the skill set that is needed to work in a modern cycle workshop, including customer service, administration, retail skills, team working, use of POS systems and a knowledge of current legislation, as well as the technical skills of cycle maintenance.

Within the Senior Cycle Mechanic apprenticeship there is provision to cover further mechanical skills as well as management and team leading skills, how to run an efficient workshop and retail shop, how to coach and mentor others, how to plan and run promotions and how to ensure compliance with all legislation.

The upcoming introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy will see all businesses with a wage bill greater than £3million contributing money to a levy pot to be used to pay for apprenticeship training. With these changes coming into force it is more important than ever to ensure that the highest quality training is being delivered.

Suzanne Read, Head of Cycles at ATG Training commented "I think it is vital that the previously successful Apprenticeship Frameworks are updated to reflect the needs of the cycle industry and to include aspects that historically have only been covered in an ad hoc basis. I am confident that within the Trailblazer group we have a good cross section of the industry and in conjunction with the ACT and other Training Providers we can create something of true value to the industry within the new Apprenticeship Cycle Mechanic and Senior Cycle Mechanic Standards."

The current apprenticeship standard will continue to be delivered as normal by ATG Training until a new standard is agreed. If you are interested in taking on an apprentice, contact ATG Training by emailing info@atg-training.co.uk or call 01296 737 800.

Back to news menu