IRTE Skills Challenge11 November 2010

The IRTE Skills Challenge is a brand new competition aimed at finding and rewarding excellence among bus and coach technicians in the UK. Transport Engineer brings you all the details of this groundbreaking scheme

Demonstrating its commitment to supporting engineering competence and continuous professional development in the bus and coach sector, the IRTE has launched an industry-leading competition, aimed at finding and rewarding individuals and teams of three technicians capable of proving their ultimate skills in the workshop.

The IRTE Skills Challenge, officially launched at Euro Bus Expo 2010, is open to technicians from any bus or coach operator in the UK to prove their engineering credentials.

A short list of the most able applicants will be selected through a series of heats over the first few months of 2011, and the challenge will then culminate in the finals, taking place from 1–3 June 2011 at City College in Coventry.

During the finals, each day will see up to four teams competing against one another on each of the three days.

Organisations already signed up to the challenge include Arriva, Stagecoach, First Group and National Express.

IRTE believes that the Skills Challenge will help raise the profile of technicians that repair, maintain and service coaches and buses throughout the UK – and increase their value cross the wider vehicle engineering industry.

The prizes

The competition is expected to see bus operators from across the UK pitting their technicians against one other, in a bid to see them crowned highest scoring electrical, mechanical and bodywork engineers. Top honours will go to the overall winning operator's team. The awards are:

Top scoring body technician (sponsored by by Shell Fuelsave for Diesel)

Top scoring mechanical technician (sponsored by Allison Transmission)

Top scoring electrical technician (sponsored by Cummins Engines)

Electrical and mechanical combined winner (sponsored by Bridgestone)

Best teamwork (sponsored by Knorr-Bremse for Commercial Vehicles)

Overall winning team of the Skills Challenge 2011 (sponsored by IRTE)

Competitors will be asked to undertake a number of practical tests, and marked accordingly. Scores will be averaged across each three-person team, and the team with the highest score on any of the three days will win the Skills Challenge. The winners will be announced at a presentation at the Houses of Parliament in London at 4:30pm on Monday 27 June 2011.

Sponsors and partners

IRTE would like to thank the Skills Challenge main sponsors: Allision Transmission, Bridgestone, Cummins Engines, Knorr-Bremse and Shell.

IRTE would also like to thank the Skills Challenge key supporters: irtec, which provides the underpinning knowledge for the Skills Challenge competition; City College, Coventry, where the event is being held; and manufacturers MAN Truck & Bus and Scania, each of which has agreed to provide a chassis on loan for the final challenges in June.

Taking part

If you, or anyone you know, would like to take part in the IRTE Skills Challenge, you must register your interest no later then 31 January 2011 via the SOE website at www.soe.org.uk/irteskills.

Your operator will then be in touch to determine the representatives that make it to each final team. Final team entries must be sent to the organiser of the event, Will Reeves, SOE/IRTE business development manager, by 16 May 2011.

Author
IRTE

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