The IMI Skills Competition qualifiers were a huge success. We saw some of the top emerging talent doing their thing across the four categories, and we shall soon be announcing the finalists who’ll be continuing their journey in November.
We recently had the pleasure of talking with Chris McGowan, Technical Training Manager for FMG, who have sponsored this year’s Body Repair Competition. We discussed the benefits of the competition, not just for the competitors, but for their employers, the sponsors and the wider industry.
The IMI Skills Competition is a great period in all our calendars, not just because it’s fun and exciting, but because, in Chris’ words, “[It] showcases the top talent the UK has to offer.”
Not only is this a celebration of the individuals taking part and their respective skills, but it’s also a great way of showing potential newcomers what is involved in these areas of the industry. The competitions help “Nurture the next generation of talent.”
As for the sponsors, well, “The benefit of sponsoring the competition is that we get affiliated with the latest industry qualifications,” which of course shows that our sponsors are keeping up to date and are providing the latest technical training.
Sponsoring the competition allowed FMG to showcase their Technical Training and Development Centre to a wider automotive audience. This is an IMI approved centre which “Open[s] a lot of doors,” for the company, due to the “Some of the training that we need in the industry is quite unique, so we (FMG) are in a position where we can provide the right training as needed.”
We at the IMI would like to thank FMG (and all of our IMI Skills Competition sponsors) for helping us make this competition a success.
We spoke to Chris about a range of industry topics, including the rate of change concerning electric and hybrid vehicles, and the prevalence of ADAS technology, as well as how we go about futureproofing the industry. So, keep your eyes peeled for the full interview.
A preview of our conversation can be viewed above.
