MEMBER NEWS
Work experience drives student towards apprenticeship success
Newbury College Motor Vehicle student, Lailah Massey Smith, has secured an inhouse apprenticeship with Group 1 Ford Newbury after impressing staff during a short work experience placement.
Lailah is in her final year of the Motor Vehicle Level 2 Diploma course at Newbury College. Her placement gave her the opportunity to experience life in a busy dealership and work alongside skilled technicians in the workshop.
During her time with Group 1 Ford Newbury, Lailah observed and supported technicians with recalls, routine maintenance, and removing and refitting parts. She also saw how job cards are completed and communicated with the parts advisor about new parts.
The placement helped Lailah understand how a dealership works and the procedures involved in completing tasks safely and effectively. It also gave her valuable experience in diagnosing issues and knowing what to look for when working on vehicles. Lailah said:“ The atmosphere was very memorable. Everyone was welcoming.
Newbury College Motor Vehicle student Lailah Massey Smith secures apprenticeship with Group 1 Ford
“ I felt that the people I worked with had confidence in my ability and gave me lots of opportunities to learn.”
Like many students taking their first steps into industry, Lailah found the experience challenging at first.
She added:“ I found it quite intimidating knowing I could make mistakes, but I made sure not to put too much pressure on myself and focused as much as possible.
“ The placement helped me understand what to expect in a workplace and gave me more confidence in my ability.”
Lailah’ s positive attitude, enthusiasm and commitment made a strong impression on the team at Group 1 Ford Newbury. She was offered an apprenticeship and will start with the company in early August.
Arron Short, of Group 1 Ford Newbury, said:“ Lailah worked alongside the technicians in the workshop, learning new skills and gaining experience.
“ We ask students what they want to get out of their visit and try to adjust our training to accommodate this. Lailah asked to come back in for further days of experience, and I have offered her an apprenticeship based on her positive experience here.”
Group 1 Ford Newbury supports students through work placements and helps them explore career routes in the motor industry.
Arron added:“ We like to support the local community, and, in turn, we can identify the best candidates for future roles.”
Knights accelerates growth in the Thames Valley with acquisition of THP Solicitors
Knights, the UK’ s largest regional legal and professional services business, has announced the acquisition of THP Solicitors, further accelerating its growth in the Thames Valley and expanding access to legal and professional services for businesses, families and individuals across the region.
The acquisition will add 30 legal experts to Knights, enhancing its capability in one of the UK’ s most economically significant growth regions.
THP Solicitors has a strong reputation for advising businesses, families and private individuals throughout the Thames Valley and will join Knights’ fast-growing Thames Valley team at its state-of-the-art office at The Blade in Reading. The combination will bring together deep local relationships with the scale, resources and specialist expertise of a national business.
The transaction continues Knights’ strategy of investing in high-quality regional firms and providing clients with access to a broader range of services whilst retaining the local knowledge and trusted relationships that remain central to
successful professional advice. Clients will continue to work with the people they know and trust. As part of Knights, those relationships will be strengthened by access to a wider team of legal and professional services specialists across the UK, offering additional expertise and support whenever required. David Beech, CEO of Knights, said:“ THP has established an excellent reputation across the Thames Valley and we are delighted to welcome them to Knights.
“ The Thames Valley is an important market for us and one in which we continue to see significant opportunity. By bringing together THP’ s strong local relationships and expertise with our existing Thames Valley presence and the breadth of our national platform, we will be able to support even more clients whilst creating new opportunities for all our colleagues.
“ We look forward to working together as we continue building the legal and professional services business of choice across the UK’ s regions.”
The acquisition builds on Knights’ continued investment across the South of
England and further strengthens its position in one of the UK’ s most important regional economies.
Rachel Gaylor, Partner at THP Solicitors, said:
“ We are delighted to be joining Knights. Over many years we have built a strong reputation and loyal client base across the Thames Valley, and becoming part of Knights provides an exciting platform for our next phase of growth.
“ Our clients will benefit from access to a broader range of specialist expertise and services, whilst our colleagues will enjoy the opportunities that come from being part of a larger national business with significant scale and resources.
“ We look forward to working with the Knights team and realising the considerable potential we see across the Thames Valley.”
Under the terms of the acquisition, Knights will acquire THP for total consideration of £ 4.0 million on a cashfree, debt-free basis, subject to customary working capital adjustments. Completion is expected on 25 September 2026.
24 Autumn 2026