NGK sponsors young technicians competition
NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd has sponsored a new college competition for young technicians.
The leading supplier of original equipment (OE) spark plugs, glow plugs and NTK Lambda sensors supported the first Skills East Motor Vehicle competition which saw six young technicians from three colleges display their skills at City College Norwich.
The competitors were all full-time Level 2 students on light vehicle maintenance and repair courses and were all less than 20 years old.
Janis Olups and Leo Harvey represented City College, Joseph Manvers and Joe Hartland, the West Suffolk College, Bury St Edmunds, and Ryan Buckenham and Gary Seaman, the College of West Anglia, King’s Lynn. Unfortunately, a fourth team from Lowestoft College had to withdraw on the day.
The students from each college were tasked with removing the cylinder head from a running Peugeot 206, carry out the relevant checks, re-fit the cylinder head, correctly time the engine and start it, all within five hours.
City College Norwich completed the task first, with approximately one-and-a-half hours still to go. West Suffolk College finished second and the College of West Anglia completed with only seconds left on the clock.
The judge, Martin Cliffe, of Omicron Engineering, formulated a marking scheme that wasn’t just about who finished in the fastest time, but more importantly about the quality and accuracy of the work carried out.
The final scoring put City College Norwich first, College of West Anglia second and West Suffolk in third place. The scores were close, with only minimum numbers of points between the teams.
The winners received trophies and also a pair of tickets each for the Goodwood Festival of Speed, with VIP access to the NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd stand.
atrick Hamilton, Head of the School of Engineering, West Suffolk College, who was one of the main organisers of the competition, said: “I think it went very well. The standard shown by the students was very good and City College Norwich were worthy winners.”
Stuart Bayne, Sales Manager – North for NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd, said: “We are delighted to have sponsored this fantastic competition which highlighted the emerging talent shown by these young technicians. The standard of work displayed by all contestants was first class. We look forward to sponsoring the competition again next year and in future years.”
For more information about NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd and its products and services, please visit the website at www.ngkntk.co.uk