Isuzu gears up for tech competition

Isuzu Australia’s 14th National Technical Skills Competition will take place next week from July 31, bringing together the nation’s best and brightest Isuzu technicians and testing their skills against the clock.

The technicians will compete to represent Australia at Isuzu Motors Limited’s World Service Technical Competition in Japan, otherwise known as the I-1 Grand Prix.

The competition will be held at IAL’s training facility in the company’s new headquarters in Melbourne and will involve a written examination and three high-pressure practical tests where participants will face complex technical problems to diagnose and remedy under the watchful eye of an expert judging panel.

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The tests are designed to not only measure a technician’s knowledge, but also how they perform in high-pressure situations.

“It’s a great test of their problem-solving capabilities and their ability to adapt to whatever Isuzu product is brought through the garage door,” said IAL National Training Manager, Mr David Smith.

Selected from the best Isuzu technicians in Australia, ten technicians (see appended table) will compete in the National Technical Skills Competition this year. However, only the top two finalists will make it into the Australian team, which will compete against other national teams from throughout the Isuzu global network. The Australian team will be led by coach and Isuzu Trucks expert, Charlie Gracewood.

With the assistance of the Isuzu Trucks dealer network, Mr Gracewood will then take his team through their paces in a bid to win back a spot on the podium against the favoured Japanese, English and New Zealand national teams.

Last year’s national team members, Michael Primmer from Winter & Taylor Isuzu (Victoria) and Jason Peterkin from Tony Ireland Isuzu (Queensland), will both again be in contention for a place on the 2019 national team.

But past success doesn’t guarantee future success due to the nature of the testing, according to Mr Smith.

“The testing is changed and redesigned every year, to represent the ever-changing Australian trucking environment.

“That’s what makes this format so difficult. There’s no point in testing what’s obvious or making these tasks easy to complete.

“We’re here to uncover the best Isuzu Trucks technician in Australia, and we need to have the tests to match,” Mr Smith explained.

“This program continues to upskill our technicians, while providing an exciting platform to showcase their mechanical expertise.”

For those successful in Melbourne, the road to Japan doesn’t skip a beat, with an intensive three-phase training program to take place at IAL’s purpose-built training facility.

“We’re really excited to have Charlie Gracewood on board and leading the team this year as we take on the Group A competition in Japan.

“We’re extremely confident it’ll all come together for a podium finish at this year’s I-1 Grand Prix,” Mr Smith concluded.