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Scotland’s Master Fitters set for National Final
The Master Fitter competition aims to find the Uk’s best automotoive glazing technician, recognising the technical skills the job requires. Andrew Fountain and Steven Wynne came joint first in the Scottish heat, and now face an anxious wait before discovering whether they will go through to the national final
The Scotland heat of the Master Fitter competition was held on 1 June, with Andrew Fountain and Steven Wynn declared joint winners with equal scores. The competition, led by Proskills, the sector skills council for the process and manufacturing sector, aims to find the UK’s best automotive Glazing Technician and the best six scores from the seven regional heats will go forward to the National final, which will be held at the World Skills competition in London this Autumn.
Currently working for National Windscreens, Steven Wynn has 18 years of experience in the industry, and says training is crucial to helping younger workers develop their skills. “We need to offer more help to new fitters just starting out in the industry. You need to have good hands-on experience to work effectively under pressure.”
These views are backed up Andrew Fountain of Advance Windscreens, who also boasts extensive experience in the industry. Mr Fountain started his career as a coachbuilder, where he learned to fit windscreens, and then moved into automotive glazing. “It’s important to raise the level of fitting, so any training available helps the industry,” he stresses.
The Master Fitter programme will help raise the profile of the windscreens industry and demonstrate the technical skills of those who work in it. This is a key motivation behind Mr Fountain’s participation in the programme. “I want to get more recognition for the windscreen industry and to help raise the overall skill level,” he says.
Continuous professional development is a key issue in this regard. For those just starting out, rigorous training programmes are an important first step on the ladder, and Mr Fountain has some clear advice for the Master Fitter’s of the future. “Make sure you join a company that’s got a training programme so you work towards a qualification,” he says.
Official Master Fitter Competition website : http://www.ukmasterfitter.co.uk
SOURCE FROM : Industry Today http://www.industrytoday.co.uk Published Tue, Jun 14th 2011
