More than 100 students and apprentices from across the UK initially entered the Skill Auto 2017 competition for automotive refinishing, run by the Institute of the Motor Industry.
Only 18 of them will make it through to the Atherstone National Qualifiers where they will go head-to-head in five key areas of expertise.
As well as hosting the event, 3M supply many of the products used in the contest, including abrasives, polishes, masking tape and the Paint Preparation System (PPS).
The six top-performing contestants will be announced in September. They will go on to take part in the WorldSkills UK refinishing finals, which will be held at the Skills Show, the UK’s largest careers event taking place at the NEC in Birmingham in November.
There, talent scouts will hopefully pick one or more of the finalists to represent the UK in the international WorldSkills contest if age eligible, which will be held in Russia in 2019.
The Atherstone site has hosted the refinishing heats at the ARC every year since the facility opened in 2013 and 3M has been a Global Industry Partner of WorldSkills UK for the past five years.
3M has very graciously is once again letting us hold this event at its superb ARC facility, so we’re extremely grateful. We’re incredibly lucky to be able to benefit from the company’s first-class facilities, as well as its products and expertise, which are second to none.
Paul Larking, application engineering manager, said: “3M is proud to support WorldSkills UK, whose work to foster trade skills among the next generation is invaluable”
“We look forward to hosting the refinishing heats every year, as it is always great to see such talented young people who are so passionate about this industry”
The #SkillAuto Refinishing National Qualifiers will be back at 3M from the 30th May till the 1st June.
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