How the IMI Skills Competitions boosted my career

Automotive is a world of opportunity, and there are a number of paths to achieve your career goals. For Ewan Grigor it was taking on the challenge of the IMI Skills Competitions back in 2022. It may have been a daunting experience initially, but since taking home gold in the Light Vehicle Technologies category, his career continues to accelerate…

How did you get involved in the IMI Skills Competitions?

It was just through my apprenticeship. It was daunting but I like a challenge, I like getting to try new things and pushing myself.

It was a really insightful thing. I got to learn a lot of new things and I really enjoyed it.

The qualifiers at the Henry Ford Academy was actually only my second time down there because I trained up in Scotland at the Bosch Lagta College. You do multiple different small tasks, testing your abilities. One of them was to strip and check and figure out a fault in the gearbox. Another was multiple electrical body faults. You had to work your way through them and show what methodical diagnostic procedure you'd taken. 

How surprised were you to take home gold?

To be honest I thought I'd messed it up completely. I thought maybe I've got second, maybe third. The day that it was revealed, I was actually sitting upstairs in the house while my dad was downstairs and there was a slight delay between us and they were a few seconds ahead downstairs. It got to third and I was like, "Oh, I've not got third." It got to second and I was like, "Oh, I've not got second." I switched off all hope and I was like, "I've obviously never made the cut." Then I heard screaming from downstairs and I was like, "What's that for?" All of a sudden it popped up on my screen and I was speechless. I just sat there and didn't know what to do.

How did your career progress after the IMI Skills Competitions?

I ended up doing roadside assistance for Iveco. I moved to nightshift because I just wanted a change and to take on more responsibilities. But I felt like I'd started to push my limits and decided to move to People's Ford Group. I'm still working with Ford as a commercial vehicle mechanic. I'll be finishing my Senior Tech soon and I’m going straight for my Master Tech next.

You seem like a very driven person, have you always been like that?

Yes. I want to know everything and I just want to push myself constantly. I'll turn my hand to anything and I'll never say no to a new experience.

I'm really excited for hydrogen but I’m also interested in electric cars too. I've got my level three, and I'm going for my fourth level three plus at the start of the year. 

I'm very much an internal combustion person – I've got two classic cars, two diesel BMWs and a 3.2 litre V6 Audi – but the new stuff does excite because it's innovation.

All diesel and petrol were an innovation at one point, so why can't electric be just as fun?

You’re career has moved on so much that you’re now helping bring in the next generation of talent with your own apprentice. Is the role reversal challenging?

It's quite hard because he doesn't think the way I do but it's about adapting the way you teach to the way that somebody else learns. I'm very much hands on whereas I think he's more like he has to see it and understand it before he gets hands on.

Automotive has a lot of opportunities, but getting people through the front door can sometimes be challenging. What would you say to someone who’s undecided about a career in the sector? 

You need to try it and give it time. Once you understand how things work there are just so many things you can do. You can go into so many different sectors. 

Find out more about the IMI Skills Competitions, maybe you could be the next gold medal winner.