Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi today officially opened a joint staff training centre in the Philippines, as the automotive alliance works together more closely to enhance service to customers.

The two-storey facility in Laguna will instruct up to 200 Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors trainees a day on providing more efficient and value-added service to customers not only in showrooms but also in repair centres.

A dealership and service reception area have been recreated in the center for the training sessions. The facility will also provide body and paint repair workshops for staff, along with training in assembly, machine maintenance, materials handling and vehicle inspection.

The centre, located at the Mitsubishi Motors plant in Santa Rosa, Laguna, will also have the capacity to support future technical training on electric vehicles, in line with both companies’ focus on more electrification.

The joint centre is part of a convergence of functions led by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi partnership. Mitsubishi Motors and Nissan expect the facility to reduce costs and improve staff skills through synergies such as more efficient access to trainers and courses in one central location.

“This training centre will be the venue for further enhancing the capabilities of our dealer and manufacturing personnel with regards to the newest technologies. It will also improve work efficiency and productivity through various trainings and simulations of daily operations,” said Mutsuhiro Oshikiri, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC).

“We are very excited to partner with Mitsubishi Motors to establish this new training centre,” said Ramesh Narasimhan, president and managing director of Nissan Philippines Inc.

“This is a concrete example of the benefits of the synergies between our two companies under the global Alliance. We look forward to working closely with MMPC to hone the skills of our front line staff, so that we continuously improve our services for Philippine customers.”

Renault Group, Nissan Motor and Mitsubishi Motors represent the world’s largest automotive alliance, which is the longest-lasting and most productive cross-cultural partnership in the auto industry. Together, the partners sold more than 10.6 million vehicles in nearly 200 countries in 2017. The member companies, which are focused on collaboration and maximising synergies to boost competitiveness, have strategic collaborations with other automotive groups, including Germany’s Daimler and China’s Dongfeng.