People & Careers

Halfords Welcomes First Apprentices to New Dunstable Training Academy

Published:

March 30, 2026

Author:

Luke Redfern

Halfords has welcomed its first apprenticeship cohort to a newly converted training academy in Dunstable, giving the retailer a dedicated space to train motoring technicians in a more practical setting. The opening marks a fresh investment in skills at a time when workshop recruitment remains a live issue across the wider automotive and tyre service market.

A dedicated base for practical learning

The academy was developed with Inspiro Learning and opened during the week commencing 23 March. Halfords said the project grew from discussions around a year earlier about converting “an old garage into a first-class training academy”. The result is a dedicated training environment designed to support apprentices from the start of their programme and give them more focused hands-on learning.

For Halfords, the move turns a broad skills commitment into a physical site with a clear workforce purpose. In practice,



that matters because garages need new entrants who can develop workshop confidence early, especially as vehicle systems become more complex and service expectations remain high.

Building a stronger technician pipeline

The opening also gives more substance to a wider recruitment and training push already visible across the business. Tyre News recently reported that Halfords planned to open the Dunstable site and enrol up to 250 current autocentre apprentices over the following year in response to concern about falling motoring apprenticeship numbers in the UK.

That earlier reporting framed the issue in broader sector terms. Halfords said then that the business already employed 420 apprentices across garages and support functions, while also arguing that practical and vocational routes need greater visibility. The academy now provides a clearer delivery mechanism for that ambition.

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