BMW (UK) has opened a new training and development centre at Wokefield Park near Reading. The BMW Group Academy UK was built as a joint venture with training, conference and meeting room provider Verve Venues. Incorporating a 32 bay workshop, 25 training rooms and BMW, Mini and motorcycle showrooms to simulate a working dealer environment, the facility will provide technical and non-technical training for the BMW and Mini dealerships and will also be available to BMW Groups employees throughout the UK. Jim ODonnell, managing director of BMW (UK) Ltd said: "Recruitment and retention of skilled people are critical issues facing the retail automotive sector. "In order to meet the growth in BMW and MINI UK sales volumes over the next three years we need to increase the number of people working in our dealerships from 9,000 to more than 11,000. "By providing what we believe are the best training programmes, in the best facility in the industry in the UK, we are confident that we will address this issue." Verve Venues says it is in discussion with several other corporations in the UK to provide similar bespoke facilities at other sites within its 29-venue portfolio.