AUTO LOCKSMITHS
WE ARE NOW IMI ACCREDITED: EXPLORE OUR JOURNEY
» WE ARE THRILLED TO SHARE THAT we’ ve officially received accreditation from the Institute of the Motor Industry( IMI). This milestone is a testament to our commitment to delivering high-quality training for automotive professionals. With this accreditation, our 3D Group Training Academy, 3D Group and OSCA are set to explore new and exciting opportunities.
What is the IMI?
The Institute of the Motor Industry( IMI) is the leading professional body for the entire automotive sector and its standards are recognised throughout the industry. As an accredited organisation, the IMI can assess and certify individuals as well as various professional services. This reputation boosts confidence among customers and professionals, assuring them that accredited products and services meet the highest quality standards.
Why IMI Accreditation Matters The IMI accreditation is more than just a stamp of approval; it represents a commitment to competence, skill, and dedication to industries’ best practices. It provides customers trust and helps confirm credibility in the ever-growing automotive industry.
Our efforts to become IMI-accredited demonstrate our dedication to helping locksmiths and automotive professionals. We’ re excited to launch our new accredited courses through the 3D Group Training Academy. This accreditation will help us, and our customers grow and stand out in a competitive market.
Our Accreditation Journey
Our journey to achieve IMI accreditation involved careful planning and a commitment to the high-quality standards set by the IMI. We began by establishing 3D Group Training Academy and equipping it with essential resources, including lock-picking boards, training rigs, key programming tools, and much more. This setup enabled us to offer practical and classroom-based training for all abilities.
Our internal team were the first to participate and assess our training courses, enabling us to refine content and delivery. After completing the internal phase, we opened 3D Group Training Academy to the broader locksmithing community, offering courses like:
• Pluto Masterclass: Covering safe practices, unit removal for lost keys, fault identification, and key work.
• Xhorse VAG: A course on extracting data and programming keys for VAG vehicles.
• AUTEL BMW: Teaching key programming for BMW F-series vehicles using the AUTEL tool. Once we had developed and refined our courses, we applied for accreditation from the IMI. This required aligning all our policies, paperwork, and training procedures with IMI’ s strict standards. We worked closely with the IMI’ s Business Development Manager, Michelle, who guided us through each step until we met all the requirements.
The Big Moment: We are IMI Accredited
We were officially presented with the IMI Accreditation on the 12 / 02 / 2025, another milestone in our proud history. We were excited to welcome Michelle( The IMI’ s Business Development Manager), to our Training Academy for the award presentation. Martin Green( OSCA Remote Diagnostic Technician), Ashley Brucki( 3D Group Technical & Training Consultant), and our CEOs, Dan and Dean Sanderson, joined her to celebrate this momentous occasion.
What IMI Accreditation means for us moving forward
Exciting changes are on the way across our businesses- 3D Group, 3D Group Training Academy and OSCA. We can’ t wait for the journey ahead, here’ s what to expect:
3D Group Training Academy will offer IMI-approved courses, starting with a 10-day Accredited Automotive Locksmithing course. This course will cover essential skills such as key machine theory, practical training, lock picking, and programming. Participants will earn one year of IMI membership, including access to the community hub, a membership card, and professional post-nominals( AffIMI).
All the courses can be found and purchased on 3D Group website. Alternatively, give our customer service team a call and they’ ll be happy to help.
OSCA will introduce an IMI-accredited course designed for its technicians to increase their expertise and confidence in specialised tasks.
Looking ahead, we invite you to explore our IMI-accredited courses and see how our expertise can benefit you. Our customer support team is always on hand to assist with any questions. We look forward to working together to enhance the skills and expertise of professionals in the automotive industry …
www. 3dgroupuk. com
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MARCH 2025
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