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Year long preparations pays off for National Skills Winner
A quiet yet friendly face around the fixed operations area, Lionel Giblin is the 2010 winner of the National Skills contest. Lionel has been with the company for nine years and is a product of the company’s esteemed Apprentice-ship programme. In 2004, Giblin also took out top honours by way of Best Apprentice. Since winning that, he has had his sights firmly on the National Skills Contest.
The National Skills Contest is the culmination of year long preparation in skills display and technical knowledge by Toyota Technicians, Panel Technicians, Service Advisors and Parts Staff.
Asco Motor’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Abdul Hafiz says of the contest, “The purpose of this contest is to showcase the skills and talents of our Toyota Service, Parts and Panel Staff presented in a structured form with winners rewarded in trophies and cash.
“As a young boy, I aspired to be a technician. I was really interested in cars, their design, the sound of engines and generally how things worked in vehicles, adding “a lot has changed in vehicle technology, in fact its been like a big leap, shifting aeroplane technology to vehicles, things like starting up the engines with just the push of a button, better alternators, fuel injection and electrical wiring come to mind.
Giblin prepared for this year’s competition for over a year, getting his mind, body and soul focused on winning the overall prize. In his preparation, he studied the Toyota manuals going over the theory component of the diagnostic sections. Learning and re-learning the Toyota Way covering basic steps like putting up seat covers and fender covers when working on a vehicle.
The Skills Contest is divided up into five categories, Parts, Service Advisor, Technical and Body & Paint. Throughout the year, competitors go through a series of preliminary rounds of theory examination which is also a process of elimination as Asco Motors various branches around the country and the main winners of these preliminary rounds progress through to the main competition, the National Skills Contest. Other 2010 winners included:
- Roneel Singh of Nadi who took out top honours in Parts, Tyres and Battery.
- Mark Sefo of Lautoka who was titled the Best Service Advisor.
- Isireli Elliott of Suva was the Body Overall Winner.
- Navin Prasad in Paint
- The Best Apprentice award went to Suva’s Chen Tart Wa.
Regional Learning & Development Manager Ms Ranju Kumar says, “The National Skills contest signifies the importance Asco Motors has placed on training and up-skilling our people. The more training they get, the better they are able to serve the most important people, our Toyota customers. The National Skills Contest is a global Toyota initiative and is staged in many Toyota dealerships around the world.
Giblin ends, “In winning this contest, I am thankful to the support of my team, and I hope to impart my knowledge and skills that I have gained throughout the years to upcoming apprentices.