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Royal Stamp of Approval for IMI Awards Outstanding Achievers

27 June 2011

IMI Awards celebrated the achievements of individuals and training providers at the automotive awarding body's annual outstanding achievers event which was held at Fanshaws in Hertfordshire on Thursday 23 June 2011. The prestigious event, held in the presence of HRH Prince Michael of Kent and sponsored by Euro Car Parts, celebrates the achievements of automotive students and staff from IMI Awards approved centres.

Finalists were congratulated by HRH Prince Michael of Kent, who said in his opening address;
"I am delighted to present these awards as they provide an opportunity to showcase the hard work, dedication and true passion that exists within the automotive sector today. I would also like to offer my personal congratulations to individuals and training providers; you should all feel extremely proud of your outstanding achievements."

Winners in the individual Outstanding Achievers categories were:

Light Vehicle              Chloe Allen                   Bridgwater College / Lift West Limited (Bridgwater)
Heavy Vehicle            Ben King                       Skillnet / DAF Trucks Ltd
Paint                            Reece Otley                  Blackpool & Fylde College
Body Repair               Matthew Quinn              Riverpark Training / Charles Hurst ARC
Motorcycle                  Ben Sykes                      Hull College / Jax Motorcycles
Fast Fit                        Josh Beardsmore          Motov8
Young Student           Rebecca Wooff               Lancaster Training
Non Technical           Ewan Riddoch               Raytheon/ Vauxhall Apprenticeship Programme / Peter Vardy

Winners in the Centre of the Year 2011 categories were:
Approved Centre of the Year S & B Automotive Academy
Specialist Centre of the Year Motov8

Winners were presented with a glass trophy, framed certificate and prizes donated by sponsor, Euro Car Parts, by HRH Prince Michael of Kent.

The first individual award presented on the day, and the most hotly contested in the individual technical categories is Outstanding Technical Student - Light Vehicle. The winner, Chloe Allen from Bridgwater College, impressed the judges, tutors and her employers at Lift West Ltd with her dedicated, flexible approach to learning and her personal drive to become the best through continual development.

All three finalists in the Heavy Vehicle category were from training provider Skillnet with the winning award presented to Ben King from DAF Trucks Ltd. Ben impressed the judges with his very high competency levels in the workplace, often going beyond that of a learner on an apprenticeship programme.

The category for Outstanding Technical Student - Paint was won by Reece Otley who gained his qualification at Blackpool & Fylde College. Reece was awarded outstanding achiever due to his exceptional portfolio of work, resourcefulness and attention to detail in every assignment he completed.

Outstanding Technical Student - Body Repair was presented to Matthew Quinn from Riverpark Training. Matthew, who is regularly entrusted by his employer to carry out repairs on high end vehicles including, Aston Martin, Ferrari and Jaguar, impressed the judges with the high level of competency and knowledge at such an early stage in his career.

Ben Sykes won the Outstanding Technical Student - Motorcycle category. This was in part due to his passion for the motorcycle industry, where he gained a position within a race team attending Northwest 200 and Isle of Man TT events, but mainly because of the dedicated approach to his studies, where he pushes himself to be the very best.

The winner in the Outstanding Technical Student - Fast Fit category was won by Josh Beardsmore from Motov8. His tutors said he serves as a role model to others around him, demonstrating what can be achieved through hard work and determination. He impressed the judging panel with his "can do" attitude making him a worthy winner in this category.

The category of Outstanding Young Student is open to 14-16 year olds studying towards an IMI Awards qualification. The winner in this category was Rebecca Wooff from Lancaster Training. Rebecca's tutor said she was the most dedicated and motivated learner they had ever taught. The judges were also impressed with her written and practical assignments, in which she regularly scored 100%.

In the Outstanding Achiever - Non Technical category, Ewan Riccoch from Vauxhall Apprenticeship Programme, delivered by Raytheon, impressed the judging panel with his consistently high performance levels and commitment to training. Ewan, who completed his level 3 IMI Awards parts operations qualification, also received high praise from his employer, who said he was a vital member of staff due to excellent work ethic and teamwork.

The last of the individual categories - Outstanding Management Student was awarded to Michael Finney from Renault Trucks. Michael, who gained his automotive management qualification through AIT Training & Development, was able demonstrate to his employer the excellent return on investment his management training provided. The judges found the quantifiable results difficult to ignore. With income increased and stock levels improved, releasing vital capital back into the business, Michael's commitment and enthusiasm illustrates how management training can benefit all concerned.

For the first year, IMI Awards had two awards for Centre of the Year categories. First up was Specialist Centre of the Year 2011 which was won by Motov8. Presenting the award Alan Mackrill, Managing Director IMI Awards said; "Motov8 have proven year on year that their organisation and staff give something back to the industry and make a real difference in the lives of young learners, so I am delighted that they are the first winner of this award."

Bristol based S & B Automotive Academy were announced as the winners of Approved Centre of the Year 2011 in the last, but highly anticipated award of the day. Alan Mackrill said of the award winning centre
"S & B Automotive have followed through on their long term vision from their early roots and have consistently evolved into the award winning organisation they are today. The passion and enthusiasm of all staff within
S & B Automotive Academy truly make them ambassadors for the automotive industry and we are proud to honor them with this prestigious award."

Bill Stimson, marketing director at Euro Car Parts, commented: "Euro Car Parts is always proud to support
IMI Awards' Outstanding Achievers. Our congratulations go to all the participants and especially the winners. Good quality training is important in every industry, but in the fast-moving world of vehicle servicing and repair it is absolutely essential. New technologies are being introduced all the time, and each one requires a repair solution. We are famous for providing any part for any car and these talented men and women are the people who fit them. Their skill and enthusiasm is both inspirational and reassuring. This year it was particularly encouraging to see so many top-notch female vehicle technicians getting the recognition they deserve."

Photo: IMI Awards Outstanding Achievers 2011

Other photos available on request - contact Jane Allan, Marketing Communications Manager at IMI Awards on 01992 519 038 or janea@imiawards.org.uk

All winners and finalists for IMI Awards Outstanding Achievers 2011 (click links for photos)

Approved Centre of the Year

Specialist Centre of the Year

Light Vehicle

Heavy Vehicle

Paint

Body Repair