This is a trade facing website. Visit the ACT's consumer site thecyclingexperts.co.uk for information and advice on cycling and find your local independent cycle retailer.

Search News

Results: 131-140 of 884


29 Feb 2024

Retailers looking for a payment solution that facilitates in-person, remote and online payments should look at what’s on offer from ACT partner Global Payments.
 

29 Feb 2024

The ACT is happy to confirm the date for Local Bike Shop Day 2024 as Saturday 4 May, the weekend of the early May Bank Holiday.

27 Feb 2024

The inaugural Cycling Electric magazine Demo Day will take place on Sunday, April 28th, at the Lee Valley VeloPark in London.

27 Feb 2024

New research from the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF), a Brussels-based advocacy group, has confirmed that if a city has more bike lanes, more people will cycle. The results will give...

13 Feb 2024

2024 is well underway and we’re just around the corner from the Spring Statement and for the retail sector it’s pretty much business as usual…or is it?

13 Feb 2024

Fabian Hamilton MP, co-chair of the Walking and Cycling All-Party Parliamentary Group, has said that the Cycle to Work scheme "must be reformed".

13 Feb 2024

The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has called for a series of cost-saving measures in the next Budget to help boost business.

12 Feb 2024

People across England are missing out on a slew of health, wellbeing and environmental benefits due to half a century of “chronic underfunding” of its streets, according to Cycling...

12 Feb 2024

ACT member and Cytech-accredited Pauls Cycles in Dereham, Norfolk has said its electric bike sales have increased by a quarter since October, despite predictions they would drop off over...

9 Feb 2024

Guy Opperman, the Minister for Roads and Local Transport at the Department for Transport, whose focuses among other things on cycling and active travel, has attended a meeting of...

Back to news menu

Cytech training to help Go Outdoors boost number of cycle mechanics by offering apprenticeships to store staff.

Posted on in Business News , Cycles News

Go Outdoors, which operates 75 stores across the UK, has announced an apprenticeship scheme involving Cytech training with the aim of addressing what it terms a nationwide shortage of bicycle mechanics in England.

Cycle mechanic

Run in partnership with Cytech partner Activate Cycle Academy the new work-based scheme will be open to staff working in Go Outdoors branches in England.

It will train people to Level 2 Apprenticeship in Bicycle Mechanics, with successful participants given Cytech training as well as a certificate widely recognised throughout the industry on completion of their training as a “master technician” bike mechanic.

Training will be a combination of online, mentored and technical learning, with participants recruited or nominated by their branch managers, says the retailer, which has already trained 200 staff internally but says its new programme will “ enhance customers’ in-store experience whilst also creating a talent pipeline of highly skilled bike technicians.”

Jonny Lodge, the company’s National Sales and Operations Manager for Cycling said:

“The decision to introduce a cycling apprenticeship into GO Outdoors has come from a place of passion and experience, with acknowledgement that this offers a chance to build on an already successful recipe for UK cycling retail.

“Importantly, it supports our aims to continuously invest in and develop our colleagues, whilst addressing the national bike mechanic shortage by bringing more skilled technicians to the industry.

“We are thrilled to be working with Activate and recognise them as a market-leading provider that is supporting the industry with a fantastic learning framework.”

Ultimately, the company aims to have one master mechanic in each of its stores within the next two or three years.

Matt Grant, Cycles Sales and Marketing Manager at Activate Cycle Academy added:

“We are delighted to partner with one of the country’s leading retail groups with this apprenticeship programme.

"This collaboration shows how committed Go Outdoors is with supporting their colleagues with continued learning, development, and upskilling. By choosing our training programme, Go Outdoors are ensuring their cycle technicians receive the very best industry training and qualifications available to further enhance their career within the greater retail group.”

Factors behind the national shortage of qualified cycle mechanics include low levels of pay, long hours, a perception among some that their work is little valued, and the impact of the ending of free movement of workers from the EU post-Brexit.

With the cost-of-living crisis biting, there is also evidence that some bike owners are also increasingly undertaking their own maintenance – despite in some cases not having the know-how, the proper tools, or access to suitable parts or technical manuals to help them.

Back to news menu

Useful links

If you have any other queries please contact us.