Talent rewarded in graduation ceremony and apprentice of the year awards
Toyota has been rewarding the brightest and best young talent in its training academy and workshops with its annual graduation ceremony and Apprentice of the Year awards.
Young men and women who have completed their Toyota and Lexus training enjoyed a graduation day that mixed presentation formalities with fun activities. The group of 28 were joined by their families for the occasion, organised by the Toyota and Lexus Academy in Nottingham (Toyota’s central UK training facility) and hosted at Toyota’s Burnaston factory in Derbyshire in May. Francesco Mereu, Toyota HR Director, presented certificates to the graduating apprentices, formally confirming their status as fully qualified service technicians, body and paint technicians and parts and service advisors.
The day also included a fun driving challenge to test skill and accuracy at the wheel of a Toyota Aygo, with a benchmark score set by The Stig, a surprise guest at the occasion.
The 2011/2012 Toyota and Lexus graduates are: -
Daniel Aspinall Vantage Knaresborough Mark Baines Lindop Bros, Queensferry Carl Banning Sims Toyota, Northampton Anthony Blears RRG Bury Sam Burness Octagon Bracknell Matthew Crame Lexus Swindon Joseph Dalton RRG Altrincham Jack Dodsley Lexus Leicester Phillip Donaghey Sims Toyota, Northampton David Freeman Lookers Rayleigh James Gascoigne Ron Brooks Macclesfield Daniel Goodson Dingles Toyota (Norfolk and Suffolk) Alex Hands Charles Clark Wolverhampton Daniel Hardy Marshalls of Peterborough Timothy Hart Pentagon Doncaster Karl Jones Motorline (Kent, Surrey and Sussex) Martin Jones Lexus Milton Keynes Sean Kennedy Lexus Coventry James Logue Marshall of Peterborough Rebecca Marsh Gordon Lamb Chesterfield Robert McNeill Lexus Sidcup Christian Medina Curries Twickenham Stuart Neary H.W. Moon, Wigan Marshall Shipley Pinkstones, Stoke on Trent Ruth Stafford Farmer and Carlisle, Lougborough Mark Strong Lexus Reading Daniel Taylor Lexus Newcastle Naren Vajesang Jemca Edgware Road
Apprentice of the Year
Practical and theory skills are tested to the limit in the annual Toyota and Lexus Apprentice of the Year competition, which took place this year on 11 May at the Toyota and Lexus Academy.
The finalists, who qualified for a place in the final through preliminary testing, got to know each other at a pre-event dinner the night before the competition. On the day each was required to complete four 40-minute tasks relevant to their work as service technicians, body and paint technicians or parts advisors. Testing took place at work stations, monitored by managers, trainers and assessors.
The intense testing over, all participants were able to relax by taking part in an endurance karting competition, prior to an evening awards presentation, hosted by Paul Craven, General Manager of the Toyota Academy.
The 2012 winners are: -
Service Technician Year 1 Thomas Hurn Dingles Toyota Year 2 Ben Rollison Listers Toyota Attleborough Year 3 James Gearing Octagon Toyota Reading Overall winner James Gearing
Parts Advisor Year 2 Don Sabatino RRG Salford Quays Year 3 Tom Roe Lexus Hull Overall winner Tom Roe
Body and Paint Technician Overall winner Andrew McPhie RRG Bolton Accident and Repair Centre
All competitors received a commemorative medal and year winners were presented with a trophy and digital camera. The three overall winners received a trophy, a Blackberry tablet and a personally engraved silver trophy, which they retain for a year.
