June 2019

A fter an intense few months, Top Technician 2019 reached the live stages in late April, when the top scoring contestants were brought to Auto iQ in Northampton for the semi final of the competition. Facing the tasks were the 10 semi finalists for Top Technician 2019; Paul Adams, Dean Andrew, Gary Brillus, Adam Critchley, Neil Currie, Craig Hewison, Murdo Macleod, Declan Robinson, Andrew Ruellan and Dave Weston. Handling the judging for the day were lead judge Ian Gillgrass, along with Auto iQ's own John Batten, as well as Glenn Cutter. Also, on hand to keep an eye on the tasks was another old friend of the competition, namely 2016 Top Technician champion Matthew Eeles. Rundown Explaining the rundown of the day to the candidates, Ian Gillgrass said: "There are five tasks, 20 minutes each. They are short, sharp and sweet." On the approach contestants should take, Ian observed: "Treat them like normal jobs. Don’t overthink them. They are all achievable, although some are more achievable than the others. " He added: "Enjoy yourself as much as possible." Fellow judge and host-for-the-day John Batten had a few thoughts for the nervous participants too: "I have three top tips for success in Top Technician. First, enjoy yourself. Second, to succeed you have to be super-focused. Lastly, as judges we are looking for what you would look for from an employee in the workshop." Glenn Cutter commented: "Don’t dwell on the task you did before. This is designed to check your logic and procedure. If you follow your usual routine you will get through. " With his experience in the competition, Matthew Eeles added: "Just try and relax. With all the tasks, you just have to read what is on the sheet. You will know what to do." Reflecting on his experience within the competition, he added: "It is nice being the other side, and very interesting to see what everyone does. Mechanical, electrical and electronic As for the tasks themselves, they were a mix of mechanical, electrical and electronic challenges. Each of the five tests was on a different vehicle, and the vehicles themselves were a Vauxhall Insignia, a Ford Fiesta, a Vauxhall Signum, a Seat Leon and a Toyota Prius. The Seat was a much-needed friend for those taking part who leaned towards the Volkswagen group. By contrast, no one was pleased to see the venerable Japanese hybrid. However, considering the direction of travel in the industry, this was a wise addition by the judges. After all, the purpose of Top Technician is to teach as well as test. Speaking of teaching, customer service is a vital part of business, and to reflect this, the Seat task involved speaking to the customer, gamely impersonated by a member of the Aftermarket team. As in the past, the day was split into a morning and an afternoon session, with five contestants before lunch, and five after. They came from all corners of the British Isles, including two from Scotland, one from Jersey and one from 26 AFTERMARKET JUNE 2019 TOP TECHNICIAN – TOP GARAGE 2019 TOP TECHNICIAN 2019: SEMI FINAL All the action from the Top Technician 2019 live semi final www.toptechnicianonline.co.uk Sponsored by: Below: Top Technician semi-finalists hard at work