ATA scheme hits the 7,000 mark
Twenty two year old Irfan Khan, who is employed at BMW dealership, Hexagon of Highgate, in north London, is the 7,000th technician to achieve the Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) standard, which is governed by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).
Irfan has worked at Hexagon since 2003 and commenced his apprenticeship there the following year. He achieved his accreditation at Service Maintenance Technician level at the BMW Group Academy UK near Reading. He is one of over 500 BMW technicians who have gained ATA accredited status since the scheme was launched in June 2005. Nine technicians at Hexagon now hold ATA accreditation.
To mark the 7,000th milestone, Irfan was presented with a certificate of achievement from BMW UK Ltd and a cheque for £200 from the IMI by Steve Nash, Aftersales Director for BMW UK Ltd, who is also Chairman of the IMI's Executive Board.
Commented Irfan Khan: "I am very proud to be part of this scheme and to be the 7,000 technician. The ATA scheme offers me continuous training and having national industry recognition will ultimately be good for my career."
Steve Nash said: "I am delighted to present Irfan with this recognition of his ATA status. The ATA scheme has grown in strength and is the definitive national standard of current competence. This accreditation shows our customers that BMW dealers are committed to providing the highest level of expertise and professional standards."
Sarah Sillars, Chief Executive, Institute of the Motor Industry, said: "As the number of accredited technicians grows, reaching this milestone shows the progress made by the industry to promote and recognise technical competance and ethical behaviour. To ensure we have a respected retail motor sector in the future we need highly capable young people like Irfan who can demonstrate their commitment to raising standards."
Technicians and employers can contact 01992 511521 if they are interested in taking the assessment locally or if they have any questions about ATA, in addition to the information available on the ATA web-site, http://www.automotivetechnician.org.uk
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For further information, contact Simon Bennett on 01992 511521
(Photo available on request.)