Body repair motors past 2,000 mark
Bill Richmond has become the 2,000th technician in the body repair sector to gain the Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) standard, governed by The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).
Bill, a panel technician at the Accident Repair UK Assistance in Stechford, Birmingham, received a bottle of champagne and a cheque for £200 from Ian Hissey, one of the IMI’s National Managers for England.
It was something of a double celebration for Bill – five years to the day since he joined RBS and a grand total of 30 years working in the motor industry.
Ian Mcleod, production manager for Accident Repair UK Assistance, said: “Bill is a valued member of the team and we’re pleased to see him gain this important industry standard in recognition of the quality of his work. Our goal is to achieve world class status in the field of accident repair and to achieve this we need a talented workforce with a broad range of skills. At present, around one in four of our technicians is registered with ATA but we intend to reach one in two within the next 12 months such is its value to the business.”
Ian Hissey said:
“With many UK bodyshops embarking on the Kitemark process, there has never been a greater need for competent technicians in this area. Hitting this major milestone in the body repair sector shows that the industry values professional recognition and that it plays an integral part in continuing to improve public perceptions of our sector.”
The ATA scheme now has over 11,000 registered automotive technicians across eleven different technical disciplines. Technicians and employers can contact 01992 511521 if they are interested in taking an assessment locally or if they have any questions about ATA, in addition to the information available on the ATA web-site, www.automotivetechnician.org.uk
ENDS
For further information please contact Simon Bennett or Stuart Brooks at the IMI on 01992 511521