Top Technician

TOP TECHNICIAN is a skills competition created more than 7 years ago. Its mission was, and still is, to reward technical excellence within the workshop trade and highlight to a rather cynical and suspicious motoring public what a skilled, important and all-round excellent job garage technicians do.


The competition, which is open to both independent and franchised dealer technicians, consists of an online test followed by practical assessments for the top 24 candidates. After these regional heats, the best 12 candidates are selected to compete in the finals from where the eventual winner and two runners-up are chosen.

To make sure the competition's standards are of the highest level, all the questions in Top Technician are compiled by chief judge Ian Gillgrass from the Institute of the Motor Industry.

Ian uses his vast technical and assessment knowledge to devise questions that will probe every area of technicians' skills, from diagnostics and wheel alignment to exhaust gas analysis, electronics and beyond.

Entry criteria
Entrants should be working technicians within a garage or workshop environment (fixed or mobile within the UK) with at least 3 years' experience in this environment.

Full-time trainers cannot enter Top Technician.

STUART White has been named the winner of Top Technician 2010.

Garage boss Stuart White of Complete Car Maintenance in Surrey was unveiled as the winner of the annual contest at the Workshop exhibition in the NEC in April 2010. Stuart has been a regular finalist in the hunt for the UK’s most gifted car mechanic but had never taken top spot before.

“It’s fantastic,” he told Aftermarket, moments after receiving more than £11,000 worth of prizes from generous sponsors Blue Print, Comma Oil & Chemicals, Delphi, Euro Car Parts, Lemforder, Motor Codes and technical partner ATA. “I felt that I had the best chance of winning I’d ever had this year.” Master technician John Tinham, of John Tinham Motor Engineer in Chelmsford, took second place while Steve Smith, of Charles Clarke Toyota finished third. The prize ceremony was attended by technicians and technical experts including Frank Massey, James Dillon and scores of automotive industry figures.

Stuart took top spot after winning through a series of online, practical and written tests set by chief examiner Ian Gillgrass of the IMI and his team of expert judges. “All the finalists were absolutely brilliant,” he said. “There were 12 really great guys.” Fellow judge Rob Lewis, a technical trainer for competition sponsor Delphi, added: “The standard was unbelievable this year and keeps getting higher every time.”


Want to enter?
You can pre-register for the 2011 competition which officially launches in October, now. Simply click here to visit the Top Technician website and hit the 'Click To Enter' button in the left-hand menu.

Want to be involved?
If you're not a technician but would like to know more about the opportunities Top Technician can offer businesses and organisations, simply call Paul or Nicola on 01634 261 262.