Wisbech students have been getting a taste of the motor industry by visiting two Cambridgeshire automotive businesses: Titan Motorsport and Automotive Engineering Ltd and Paragon Motor Company. Titan, St Neots, specialises in the design, manufacture and supply of high performance, precision-engineered components for the motorsport, automotive, marine, defence and aerospace sectors. Chairman Oz Timms hosted a visit for the level 3 students to five them a wider insight into industries that support the development and manufacture of specialist components for high performance and prestigious motor vehicles. The learners were taken around the operational areas of the business, where they witnessed a number of components being produced. This included alloy suspension arms, wishbones and sump plates. This was followed by a tour of the assembly and design areas. This gave the students a true insight into the full process from design concept through to prototyping and manufacture. Oz said: “Motorsport is a fast changing and constantly evolving environment. Working in such an environment greatly accelerates the developments of technologies, materials, designs and engineering techniques. At Titan, we continuously apply what we learn to develop our products. We always look forward to future engineering challenges and opportunities for growth.”

Paragon is a family-owned business in Wisbech, which offers servicing, MOTs and a wide range of used vehicles. Managing director and owner Gary Robinson lead level 2 students on a tour of the business, with the aim of teaching them about organisational structure within an independent garage. Sales consultant Ben Collins showed the students the front out house and sales operations within the garage, emphasising the importance of customer service and satisfaction. Gary then took them around the workshop where they were able to observe various maintenance procedure being carried out on customer cars. Gary also explained that the success of Paragon is driven by a desire to exceed customer expectations. “Excellent customer service is very important to us and we pride ourselves on keeping customers happy by offering a helpful, friendly service and answering all questions with a smile.”