LCV and car parts supplier Euro Car Parts (ECP) has unveiled its Euro Academy, a technical resource set up to support independent garages.

The membership-based facility offers IMI-certified training, a dedicated technical helpline and an online diagnostics database that includes a reference library of previous faults.

A qualified team of master technicians can be contacted by phone or online offering guidance on diagnostic and repair procedures and technical information on any marque and model. That database has 2,500 repair details added weekly, giving members access to both information and experience.

The Euro Academy is supported by training specialists Grup Eina and covers all areas of vehicle maintenance. This includes electrical, electronic, mechanical and diagnostic fault-finding and offers total assessment and training solutions for every level of workshop employee.

For the master technician, courses take place at one of ECP's IMI-approved training centres, which boast more than 30 cars fitted with electronic fault simulators, all able to replicate real-life vehicle issues.

The Euro Academy programme covers three levels of membership. Level one offers unlimited use of helpline time, as well as access to Euro Vehicle troubleshooting and online assessments for technicians. Level two adds to that with one, two-day training course, while level three offers three, two-day training courses every year.

The first 200 garages to sign up for the initiative will receive a weekend package to attend Autoinform Live on 19 and 20 November, including hotel accommodation and dinner with the Euro Car Parts team.

Martin Gray, UK chief executive officer at ECP, said: 'We're delighted to further build on our commitment to the independent garage by unveiling our new training initiative. Technology continues to evolve at pace, with vehicles that are now more fuel efficient, computationally complex and diverse than ever before. With alternatively-fuelled vehicles and connected technology all making their way into the garage, it is important that the industry is in a position to respond'