A luxury sports car professional is revving up her career by completing an apprenticeship in leadership skills.

Courtney Wallis loves living life in the fast lane at Jardine Sevenoaks Ferrari where she helps high-value individuals find and maintain their dream sports car.

Currently a Senior Service Advisor, Courtney has embarked on a Level 3 team leader/supervisor apprenticeship, run by training provider Realise.

“I love cars so being involved with an approved Ferrari dealership is a dream,” said 26-year-old Courtney, speaking during National Apprenticeship Week.

“My manager recommended I start the apprenticeship programme with Realise and it’s been really helpful. It should definitely allow me to kick on with my career.

“We have already looked at project management finance, self-awareness and leadership skills and soon we’ll be studying building relationships, operational management, communication and problem solving.

“The learning has been very enjoyable and my mentors have been fantastic.”

Courtney began working life in the motor trade and subsequently returned to the industry following a brief stint as an estate agent.

“I didn’t enjoy working as an estate agent,” said Courtney. “It wasn’t for me and I soon realised I wanted to be back in the motor industry where I had previously spent six years. It’s what I know.”

Her main roles at Jardine include allocating jobs to technicians, liaising with customers and managing the diary.

She said: “I enjoy meeting new people and dealing with the customers. Best of all, I love helping to organise events at our Ferrari site. It really helps to build rapport with our customers.

“This apprenticeship has increased my optimism about my future and I’m grateful to Jardine and Realise for giving me the opportunity.”

Jardine Motors Group (JMG) is one of the UK’s leading automotive retailers with more than 50 dealerships offering 14 different premium and luxury car brands, from Aston Martin to BMW and McLaren to Porsche.

Apprenticeship schemes and other training programmes are at the heart of the company’s ethos. Realise currently delivers three programmes for Jardine: Level 3 Customer Service Specialists for aspiring managers, Level 3 Team Leader/Supervisor for first line managers and Level 5 Operation Department Manager for leaders of the future.