8,000 and rising

Richard Cleaver, who works at TSG Motors in Slough, is the 8,000th technician to achieve the Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) standard, which is governed by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).

Richard, who has been with TSG Motors since it was founded 22 years ago, achieved his accreditation at Service Maintenance Technician level at Delphi Automotive’s training facility near Warwick.

Richard is one of three technicians at the business, all of whom have achieved their ATA recognition. TSG Motors is also part of the Alliance Autocentre Programme, which provides their network of independent garages with a variety of technical and training services.

To mark the 8,000th milestone, Paul was presented with a bottle of champagne and a cheque for £200 by Michelle Barrett, one of the IMI’s National Managers for England.

Tony Shoard, manager and owner of TSG Motors said: “We are very pleased to be involved in ATA and to have the 8,000th technician as part of our team. The scheme is an excellent way of proving technical competence and with the support of the Alliance Autocentre programme; Allparts Technical Centres and Delphi Automotive, all of our technicians have now successfully achieved the standard. It is important that our customers can see we are professionally accredited and having ATA demonstrates that we are committed to raising standards.”

Michelle Barrett, IMI National Manager for England (South East), said: “Since its launch in 2005 the number of technicians achieving accreditation continues to grow and hitting the 8,000 milestone shows that the industry values professional recognition and that it plays an integral part in continuing to improve public perceptions of our sector. The team at TSG Motors have clearly demonstrated their commitment to making a difference, which the IMI fully supports.”

An information and booking helpline has been introduced by the IMI, as an alternative option to booking direct with an ATA Approved Centre. Interested technicians and employers are invited to contact 01992 511521 if they are interested in taking the assessment locally or if they have any questions about ATA in addition to the information available on the ATA web-site, automotivetechnician.org.uk