Auto 22: Nikki King OBE with apprentice George Burman (left) and fully qualified Auto22 technician Darren Irons (right).

A top industry expert has been apppointed to the board of a unique social enterprise which helps youngsters who have fallen out of education pursue apprenticeships.

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Nikki King OBE, the Chief Executive Officer of Isuzu Truck (UK) Ltd, has become a non-executive director on the board of the pioneering Catch22 Social Enterprise Ltd.

Operating under the trading name Auto22,it was launched by the national young peoples’ charity Catch22 and has been based at the Lions Business Park, Gravesend since 2010.

The garage offers servicing and repair for all makes and models of cars and light vans and provides work experience, placements, training and apprenticeships to unemployed youngsters.

Mrs King is the only woman in the world to run a truck sales company, has helped turn the company in to a multi-million pound success and has a management team made up of 40 per cent women.

She said: “I am delighted to be joining the board of Auto 22. I think it is scandalous that we have 1,000,000 young people unemployed, many of whom have left school without any qualifications and are frankly unemployable. These young people are not only a tragically wasted resource, they have been left with no careers, no ambitions and absolutely no opportunities to develop their lives after leaving school.

“One of the great aspects of Auto 22 is that while we offer the highest standards of customer care and an excellent standard of professional service, customers who send their cars to Auto 22 are actively supporting young people from the local community.”

There are plans to open another two garages in Kent in the next year.

Awarded the OBE for services to the road transport industry in 2002, she also set up the charity RISC, the Recovery Industry Support Charity, which

promotes road recovery safety.