CHESTER, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "outstanding success" of a new motor trade apprenticeship scheme has persuaded its pioneers, ACF Car Finance, to bring forward plans to expand the programme.

The national car retailer took its first trainees on at the end of last year. But since then, two of the five youngsters have earned promotion to full-time sales positions with the company.

Now ACF Car Finance has decided to step up its intake of vehicle sales apprentices by recruiting another cohort before the end of the first group's 12-month training period.

The scheme, created especially for the company, sees successful students awarded with VCQ/NVQ Level 2 qualifications.

Both of the apprentices who won promotion will continue their studies while serving as newly appointed Sales Executives at the Bristol and Leeds dealerships of ACF Car Finance.

Peter Lloyd, the company's General Manager, said the pair's rapid rise is a credit to their determination, and to the breadth of the workplace learning provided to apprentices:

"The syllabus we helped to draw up is intended to equip trainees with a sound knowledge of all aspects of the vehicle supply chain, including professional interaction with customers," he said.

"As such, it underlines the vital role played by sales personnel in the company, and shows what other parts of the business the trainees might later like to explore in their careers.

"We emphasise that there's no limits to how far apprentices can go in the company, and it's great that we've been able to start some on the ladder even before their formal training is complete.

"The motor trade has seen considerable changes in recent years, including a greater focus on specialisation, and holds out exciting career prospects for people willing to learn.

"Our original intention was to run the scheme for a year, and then to review what it had achieved.

"However, the outstanding results we've seen to date have made the wait unnecessary, and we're anxious to get more trainees on board as soon as possible," added Mr Lloyd.

At the end of their apprenticeship, he said, successful graduates may then be offered an option to progress to a Level 3 qualification - equivalent to at least two A Levels.

ACF Car Finance specialises in supplying cars and arranging loans, via its parent The Funding Corporation and other selected finance providers, for people who find difficulty in borrowing from banks.

The company operates car showrooms throughout the country where apprentices are based and receive their training. The firm's public website is at www.ACFCarFinance.co.uk

ACF Car Finance is Britain's leading supplier of high-quality used cars to people whose credit status might otherwise prevent them from obtaining car credit (http://www.acfcarfinance.co.uk/car-credit/). ACF Car Finance has earned a strong reputation within the finance and motor industry for its standards of customer care, and the quality of the friendly, professional advice provided by members of its fully-trained team. The company has a Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ACFCarFinance, and can be followed on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/ACFCarFinance.

ACF Car Finance Limited. Registered in England number 4757280. Registered office address: International House, Kingsfield Court, Chester Business Park, Chester CH4 9RF.