Five Automotive students at Walsall College are gearing up to test their skills against other students in the regional heat of the national IMI Skill Auto competition, after making it through the qualifying round with some of the highest scores in the country. Run by the Institute of the Motor Industry, Skill Auto aims to find the top new talent within the industry in Automotive Body Repair, Vehicle Refinishing and Automotive Technology.
The Level 3 students, Jamie-Lee Mansell (18), Simonas Juske (19), Alexander Silk (24), Carl Harding (31) and Paul Highway (29) will now compete in a live national qualifier held over two days from 9-10th May at the Jaguar Land Rover Academy in Warwick.
The event will see students from colleges across the country compete against each other in tasks designed to help them demonstrate their practical skills and theoretical knowledge.
Competitors will be required to work on a selection of Jaguar and Landover vehicles with each task involving different elements of the vehicle from electrical fault finding to transmission faults.
Four live heats will take place across the UK and the top six from each heat will progress to the national final at the NEC Birmingham Skills Show in November.
Part of World Skills, the Skill Auto Competition provides an opportunity for automotive technicians to demonstrate the technical skills required to be a successful modern day technician.
Run annually, World Skills UK competitions aim to encourage people across the UK to excel in their vocational skill and help to lift standards of training and performance, promoting world class skills and international competitiveness.
Mark Pemberton, Curriculum Manager for Automotive said: “We are very proud to have five students representing Walsall College in this year’s competition.
“The competition is a great opportunity for students to showcase their skills and stretch their capabilities to achieve their full potential, whilst testing themselves against their peers.”
