ATA motors past 9,000
Article Type: Notes and news From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 40, Issue 7
An employee at Inchcape Volkswagen, Chelmsford, UK, is the 9,000th technician to achieve the Automotive Technician Accreditation standard, governed by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).
Paul West, who has worked at Inchcape since joining as an apprentice four years ago, achieved his accreditation at the Volkswagen Group training facility in Milton Keynes. He is one of 450 Volkswagen technicians who have now gained ATA status.
To mark the 9,000 milestone, he received a bottle of champagne and a £200 cheque from Michelle Barrett, an IMI manager.
“I have worked hard to achieve service-maintenance-technician status with Volkswagen,” said Paul West. “As part of our intensive training program we already receive certification from Volkswagen, but it is great to receive an industry-recognized accreditation that the public can understand as a sign of independent quality and that I can use throughout the rest of my career.”
A campaign to raise awareness of the ATA scheme to the public was unveiled at this year’s British International Motor Show at ExCel in London. To help to boost consumer recognition of the scheme, which recognizes proven technical competence and a commitment to a code of conduct, enforced by the IMI, the institute has recruited two communication agencies, Campaign Works and Seal Communications.
The IMI is the professional association for individuals working in the retail motor industry and the Sector Skills Council for the automotive sector, part of the Skills for Business network.
