A former Motor Vehicle student from Castleford College has gifted a range of Engines to the College’s Automotive department, helping to enhance students’ learning.
Since leaving College, Arron has set up his own successful online distribution company, which supplies motorcycles and parts into the minibike race market.
Ahead of the Christmas break, Arron visited to the department to present staff and students with the Engines.
Ian Smith, Lecturer in Engineering & Automotive Studies at Castleford College, said:
“We really appreciate Arron’s generous donation which will enable our students to practice on industry-standard equipment, enhancing their quality of learning. As his former tutor, it’s incredibly rewarding to see how far Arron has come since leaving College, setting up his own successful motorcycle distribution business which works with some of the biggest motorcycle brands and racers across the industry. What’s even more humbling is that he wants to share this success by giving back to his former College.”
After leaving College, Arron worked in a wide range of service centres throughout the country ranging from working on Aston Martins, Jaguars to working with one of the UK's largest car supermarkets.
With a love for motorbike and mini-bike racing, Arron set up Parker Racing after identifying a gap in the market of the distribution of motorcycle parts.
As the main UK distributor of BUCCI MOTO, which is a world leading Italian manufacturer of Pit Bikes and Mini GP Motorcycles, Parker Racing is known for providing high-quality motorcycles to the mini bike racing market.
Arron works closely with his customers to develop tailor-made training motorcycles to professionals within the racing sport, such as Kyle Ryde who most recently won the British Superbike Championship 2024. His business also offers trackside support services to competitors at racing events alongside running his own race team.
Arron said:
“I’ve always had a passion for motorbikes, so I enjoyed the hands-on nature of the courses at Castleford College. My tutor Ian ensured I was fully engaged in my learning, which helped me to build my mechanical, management and personal skills. This gave me a solid foundation when starting my career in the industry and are skills I still use to this day as a business owner in the sector. It’s amazing to see the growth of the company over the past ten years and I’m always looking for ways to keep expanding, including investing in my IT skills to build a company website and purchasing CNC machines to develop my own products.”
Arron Parker with the engines he gifted the College
Castleford College’s Automotive Department offers a wide range of courses designed to provide learners with the skills needed to pursue a career in the sector.
This includes Electric & Hybrid Vehicle courses which provide learners with the knowledge and training needed to work with Electric and Hybrid vehicles safely and efficiently.
The courses, which are taking on cohorts of learners in January 2025, range from Level 1 up to Level 4 and are internationally recognised qualifications.
Find out more about the Automotive Department, at: www.heartofyorkshire.ac.uk/course-search/castleford-college/automotive
Learn more about Parker Racing, at: www.parkerracing.co.uk