Technicians and apprentices gathered again in Bristol between 5-9 June to compete in the annual IRTE Skills Challenge, which was held for its 11th time in 2023.
Over 60 competitors from nine companies entered in each of the disciplines: Mechanical, electrical, bodywork, as well as the additional Mechelec category for apprentices and Mastertech for qualified technicians.
This year saw Excel Resourcing enter the Skills Challenge for the first time. It also marked a first for the Skills Challenge with a recruitment specialist entering a team alongside those from operating companies.
Cristian Badara, National Operations Manager at Excel Resourcing, responded positively to the event, and hopes to further the company’s involvement next year. “We wanted to see what the challenges are. This is also good exposure for our potential clients,” he says.
“It’s always nice to share experiences with other people doing the same thing in different environments. Next year we plan to bring six teams and will have them compete against each other.”
Thanks to developments at S&B Automotive Academy, which hosts the event, the Skills Challenge continues to stay relevant to changing technologies. Operations Director at S&B Automotive Academy Richard Belton (pictured) reveals an electric vehicle area within the facility has been introduced to help bring apprentices and technicians up to standards required by the industry.
“We’ve put it into the Skills Challenge so that it replicates what is going on in individual workshops,” he says. Mr Belton adds that operators that undertake the Skills Challenge continue to be excited about their annual involvement.
“They’re really pushing it from their side. They feel it’s highlighting the skills that they’ve developed within the industry – especially given that the industry that has advanced so much in the last five to 10 years. Operators taking part do so because they want to demonstrate and show to the world that they are reaching those levels.”
Winners of the prestigious Skills Challenge will be announced by IRTE later in 2023.
