Rio Ferdinand joins the Aston Martin squad

• Former Manchester United and England football star joins forces with Aston Martin to inspire the next generation
• Rio Ferdinand Foundation to choose one candidate per year for Aston Martin Apprenticeship Programme

16 November, 2017, Gaydon: Aston Martin has teamed up with footballing legend Rio Ferdinand and the Rio Ferdinand Foundation in a bid to inspire the next generation of talent. With six Premier League titles, one Champions League and a FIFA Club World Cup title to his name, Ferdinand, a lifelong customer and fan of Aston Martin, will also take on the role of Aston Martin Brand Ambassador.

The Rio Ferdinand Foundation (RFF) works to provide a pathway for youth development by inspiring young people and providing the tools they need to tap into their natural talents and reach their potential. For the next three years, the RFF will select one person per year to join the Aston Martin Apprenticeship Programme.

Rio Ferdinand commented: “Since setting up the RFF in 2012, it has been a huge source of pleasure for me to see these young people make positive choices and create a good life for themselves and their families. I have always been a fan of Aston Martin so it’s an honour for me to become a Brand Ambassador but it is even more of an honour to be able to use this association to help the RFF inspire the next generation.”

Aston Martin’s Apprenticeships Programme is a source of great pride for the British luxury carmaker. In fact, Aston Martin President and CEO, Andy Palmer, started his own career as an Apprentice.

Earlier this month, 30 new Apprentices started work at the Aston Martin Headquarters in Gaydon, hoping to follow in the footsteps of their alumni, many of whom have gone onto fantastic careers within Aston Martin and the wider automotive industry. Apprentices are given a full grounding across a range of Aston Martin’s business areas including Manufacturing, CAD Engineering and Design, learning all the time from expert engineers and technicians.

Dan Balmer, President of Aston Martin Lagonda UK & South Africa said: “We’re delighted to welcome Rio as an Aston Martin Brand Ambassador and look forward to working with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation. Both Aston Martin and the RFF realise the importance of investing in people and I’m excited to see how the young people put forward by the RFF develop within Aston Martin.”