A boost of almost £10 million has been earmarked for city highways improvements – with continued road surfacing projects to tackle potholes. Investment from the highways capital programme for 2025/26 will be bolstered by an extra £500,000 City of Wolverhampton Council commitment, bringing the total to £9.7 million. Potholes are a priority for the council and over the past year more than 7,900 have been repaired. But with more than 740 kilometres of carriageway to manage, prevention work is key. That is why the council uses a data driven, informed strategy to identify where targeted surfacing works can extend the…

Volkswagen Group UK Managing Director, Damien O’Sullivan, has become a Patron of the Automotive 30% Club, demonstrating the Group’s ongoing commitment to gender balance and its holistic DE&I agenda. O’Sullivan took over in December from Alex Smith, who was the first Patron and Gold member of the Club. The UK’s Automotive 30% Club is a network of over 70 automotive MDs and CEOs who have made a commitment to be inclusive leaders and build diverse gender-balanced businesses. Volkswagen Group UK has long been a part of the network, and is proud of its current achievements in the field of DE&I.…

Following the successful launch of the new MINI family, a range of additions and optional extras are set to further enhance the MINI offering from Spring 2025. Increasing personalisation across the MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper Convertible and MINI Countryman, customers now have a wider choice of exterior colours and trim combinations, alongside new digital features and improved practicality. Improved exterior colour range Giving customers increased options to personalise their new MINI, an improved selection of optional exterior paint colours are now available on petrol powered MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper Convertible and MINI Countryman models, regardless of customer choice between Classic,…

During this year’s National Apprenticeship Week, Volkswagen Group UK is not only celebrating with a visit to the Houses of Parliament to showcase network skills, but also launching a number of new head office apprenticeship roles. On Monday, our National Learning Centre apprenticeship team and seven learners took part in a Society of Manufacturers and Traders event at the Houses of Parliament. They had the chance to showcase their learnings and share their passion for working in the automotive industry with sector leaders and politicians, as well as to undertake an unforgettable guided tour of the Houses of Parliament. Volkswagen…

JLR’s Barbara Bergmeier has been named the overall winner at the inaugural Autocar Drivers of Change awards. Held and judged in association with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and Ennis & Co, Autocar Drivers of Change is a new initiative championing diverse talent in the automotive industry. A sibling event to Autocar Great Women, these awards celebrate the automotive industry as a place that welcomes everybody. The 40 Autocar Drivers of Change winners are individuals who are driving change and promoting diversity in their business in whichever role they perform. They were named at an awards ceremony at…

Top employers in the UK automotive sector are investing in a major skills drive to grow apprenticeship numbers by almost a sixth in 2025, according to a new survey by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), as manufacturers embark on a ‘green growth decade’. With the UK celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (10-16 February), there are few more exciting places for apprentices to be than automotive, as the sector innovates to deliver a new generation of zero emission vehicles. More than £20 billion of investment has been committed to Britain’s EV transition in the past two years alone1 –…

In September 2019, the council declared a climate emergency, later committing to a Net Zero target of 2041. The Walsall Net Zero 2041 Strategy sets out the priorities and actions needed to achieve net zero into six themes. These are: Energy: Focusing on reducing energy consumption, increasing efficiency, and transitioning to renewable energy sources. Circular and Green Economy: Promoting sustainable production and consumption, reducing waste, and supporting green skills and business opportunities. Homes, Workplaces, and Public Buildings: Improving energy efficiency in buildings, retrofitting existing buildings, and ensuring new buildings are net zero ready. Transport and Travel: Reducing emissions…

In 1977 West Germany, women did not have the right to work unless they had their husband’s permission. This meant that women who were the heir to their family business could not necessarily be one if they did not have their husband’s permission. Japan has an unusual way of dealing with the so-called ‘problem’ of running a family business without a male successor- they simply adopt a son. Kazunori Kaneko of the consultancy Business Succession Center says that about 10% of the family businesses that do not have a male heir adopt a son. In more recent times, the 2016…

Over 600 students, teachers and parents attended the third edition of an award winning careers fair for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) last week – the most ever. The City of Wolverhampton Council, with support from Tettenhall Wood School, staged the free Moving into Adulthood Careers Fair at Wolverhampton Racecourse, aimed at young people in Year 9 and above, parents, carers and staff who support the children in their current educational setting. They were invited to find out about the options available for further education, training and employment from exhibitors including colleges, providers, supported…

BMW Group UK has kickstarted the year by acknowledging the incredible success and hard work of BMW and MINI retailers throughout the past year at the annual Retailer of the Year 2025 awards. Hosted by comedian Jimmy Carr, retailers were celebrated across a host of categories, recognising exceptional dedication to the BMW and MINI brands, and industry-leading customer service. Winners were selected across a range of categories, from Sales, Customer, Used Cars and Electric. A new award for MINI this year, ‘Rookie of the Year’, served to spotlight those who, with just a minimum of six months under their belt,…