IMI Skills Competition
Automotive Refinishing
Refinishing tasks include Preparation and Painting, Paint Fault Rectification, Colour Matching, Plastic Repair and Refinishing equipment as well as looking at soft skills such as problem solving and time management.
Meet the 2025 Automotive Refinishing Finalists
Aaron Saxton
Remit Training - FMG Repair Services
Dafydd Jones
NPTC Group of Colleges - Sinclair Group
Jack Harvison
Southern Regional College - The Body Stop NI
Keeley Tait
Auto Assess - Steer Automotive Group
Logan Sweet
Cardiff and Vale College - Aston Martin
Lucy Bennett
Nottingham College - Sytner Mercedes Group
Take a look at the 2025 Automotive Refinishing National Qualifiers
Meet previous Refinishing Gold Medalists
Meet Victoria Steele from Sinclair's Bodyshop and Refinishing
Career journey so far:
Victoria’s journey in automotive wasn’t initially as smooth as she’d have hoped, however making the switch from mechanics to accident repair was a huge step in the right direction for her. Later, finding a workplace that supported her professional development gave her the platform to unleash her full potential. Having taken part in the Welsh skills competition, and last year’s skills competition she added “I like challenging myself to showcase my skills against other competitors, so I test my abilities against other great painters and push myself further each time.”
Future aspirations:
Victoria’s immediate goal is to win gold, and as for her career goals, she said: “I just want to keep getting better at what I do and aim to be the best painter out there”.
Employer and manager comments:
Manager Daniel Ahern said “As a manager, it’s great to see Victoria doing well in competitions, we can definitely see the boost in confidence it’s given her over the last couple of years and it’s good for us as a business to be able to show our young talent progressing."
Advice for new apprentices:
Victoria’s advice for new apprentices or competitors: “Whatever stress you may feel, just remember that everyone else is in the same situation and is feeling it just as much as you, so don’t worry so much about it affecting your performance just do the best you can and don’t dwell on any mistakes.”
Want to know more about the IMI Skills Competition? Email the team to find out more.
Meet Oisin McKerr from Southern Regional College and Porters Bodyshop
Oisin has worked hard to reach a level where he’s ready to compete against the best in the country, embracing everything that’s been thrown at him.
“I have loved every part of my training as it has pushed me out of my comfort zone and it’s been a really great experience with Southern Regional College. The most challenging part of it all was honestly down to the confidence which was easy to overcome with the help of my tutor David Fairley.
“It was definitely nerve wracking at first, having to fly over and be in a completely new area, but once everything settled and I got to know all the judges and competitors I was a lot more comfortable with it and was able to just have fun,” he says.
“Taking home the gold was extremely rewarding, it really showcased that the hard work had paid off. [I found] out back home while I was in the cinema, and was over the moon.”
Want to know more about the IMI Skills Competition? Email the team to find out more.
Access preparation tests and activities to help with your learning
Tools and resources
Download the Refinishing digital pack with helpful support and information on the competencies required, and more details of the types of tasks you will be asked to complete at all levels:
The Learning Lab
Enhance learner preparation with pressure tests to help master their technical skills, and mindset masterclasses to build personal skills.
Want to know more about the IMI Skills Competition? Email the team to find out more.