Launched last year, the so-called ‘Apprentice and Technician Challenge’ also aims to motivate service staff across the entire network to improve their skills and work practices, luring them in with the chance to participate in a track day at Phillip Island which this year included hot laps in a Megane Trophy V6 with rally driver Brendan Reeves.
As was the case last year, 11 technicians and four apprentices (one for each year level and a wildcard) attended the track day after finishing at the top of the points-based program that is run over several months and includes a three-hour technical training test known as EVA, submission of product reports and the quality of technical helpline cases.
You earned it: Rally ace Brendan Reeves (left) with the four winning apprentices (L-R): Lei Lee, Adam Koberstein, Ashleigh Stevens-Kelso and Ryan Pardon.
In order of placement, there were eight senior technicians: Sang Kwon Lee (Eastern Renault), Sean McDermott (Metro Renault), Sherwin Gozon (Melville Renault), Anthony Sferopoulos (Watson Renault), Trung Nguyen (Unley Renault), Andreas Chloupek (Col Crawford Renault) and Brent Kitchen and Rob Pattison (both from Barry Bourke Renault).
There were three other technicians – Alan Memmott (Village Renault), Chris Bulfoni (Metro Renault) and Graham Marsh (DC Motors) – while the winning apprentices were Ashleigh Stevens-Kelso (Essendon Renault), Lei Lee (AMR Renault), Adam Koberstein (Wanneroo Renault) and Ryan Pardon (Parry Euro).
The program is open to all Renault technicians in Australia – about 130 at last count – and around 60 apprentices enrolled in the company’s official apprenticeship program, run in conjunction with the Kangan Institute’s Automotive Centre of Excellence.
A select group of three technicians and one apprentice – as well as their service manager or mentor – will also be given the opportunity to attend the Renault-sponsored Geelong Revival Motoring Festival, which runs from November 24-26, and receive VIP treatment across the weekend.
Brendan Reeves (sixth from right) with winning technicians (L-R) Anthony Sferopoulos, Sean McDermott, Andreas Chloupek, Rob Pattison, Trung Nguyen, Graham Marsh, Sherwin Gozon, Chris Bulfoni, Alan Memmott, Brent Kitchen and Sang Kwon Lee
Renault Australia national service manager Mark Manns thanked all those who registered in the program and acknowledged their “hard work and commitment to learning”.
“Technicians and apprentices are an important part of our Renault Australia family and they deserve our recognition,” he said.
Mr Manns said that while the Phillip Island experience centred around individual reward, the inclusion of service managers and mentors with those invited to attend the Geelong festival was all about teamwork at the dealership.
As such, there is a slightly different assessment for this part of the program, with Renault Australia considering the overall performance of the dealership’s service department and, for the apprentice, the performance of his or her mentor.
“This part of the incentive is geared towards rewarding strong apprentice/mentor relationships and exceptional dealer service team performance with an emphasis on growing strong teams within the Renault network,” he said.
By Terry Martin
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