Automotive Technician Accreditation

Motorcycle technician accreditation growing in numbers

A scheme which proves the competence of motorcycle technicians now has 200 of them on its books who have achieved national Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) status.

The scheme, the first of its kind to recognise technical current competence, was developed by leading motorcycle and scooter manufacturers in association with the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) and the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), the sector skills council for the retail motor industry and professional association which governs the scheme.

Motorcycle technicians such as Phil Hartley, who recently gained his ATA accreditation, are fully supportive of accreditation and the benefits it brings them.  Phil, who works at the BMW dealership, Vines of Guildford, undertook his assessment at the BMW UK Academy near Reading.

Commenting on his accreditation Phil says:
“It gives me industry recognition of my level of skill and commitment.  I would thoroughly recommend the ATA scheme to other technicians as the advantages of professional recognition outweigh any of the uncertainties I initially had about performing an assessment.” 

John Howard, Aftersales manager at Vines of Guildford is clear on why his dealership is behind the ATA scheme:

“Supporting this nationwide scheme demonstrates to our customers that we are serious about providing an unprecedented level of service and expertise.  The ATA scheme has given our technicians another goal to achieve or aspire to which complements our own manufacturer training programmes very well.  I believe that the scheme will help raise the level of technical competency in our industry.”

To achieve accreditation, a technician must sign a code of conduct and then pass a series of practical tasks in areas such as braking, engine electrical systems, and vehicle safety.  This is then followed by an on-line knowledge test. There are three levels of accreditation, reflecting an individual’s job role, experience and qualifications from Service Maintenance through to Master Technician. 

Technicians and employers can contact the IMI on 01992 511521 if they are interested in taking an assessment locally or if they have any questions about ATA, in addition to the information available on the ATA web-site, www.automotivetechnician.org.uk

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For further information, please contact:
Simon Bennett, PR Executive, Tel: 01992 511521