IMI News

New alliance with IRTEC focuses on recognising highly skilled CV technicians

IRTE and IMI to collaborate on development of irtec licensing scheme

A shot in the arm for the commercial vehicle sector’s drive to improve standards is announced today at the 2008 Commercial Vehicle Show. Growing the voluntary irtec licensing scheme that ensures the competence of commercial vehicle technicians is the aim of a new agreement between the IRTE (a professional sector of the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE)) and the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).

Announcing the joint collaboration on the irtec scheme, Nick Jones, Chief Executive, SOE, said that a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations now paves the way for improved skills levels and greater recognition of a benchmark standard of competence in the commercial vehicle and passenger transport maintenance and repair industry:

“This agreement between the IRTE and the IMI will allow us to make major headway in generating further take-up of irtec and strengthening it for the future. By harnessing the expertise and experience of the IRTE in the commercial vehicle sector, particularly in relation to standards, and the administrative and developmental support of the IMI, I am confident this will be a strong and valuable partnership, whilst we will remain wholly independent organisations.”

Echoing his comments, Sarah Sillars, Chief Executive, IMI, said:

“This new deal is an important and very welcome step forward in support of skills development for the commercial vehicle industry. As the Sector Skills Council, the IMI’s role is to make a difference to employers and we are delighted to bring our experience and expertise to bear in support of the IRTE.”

“We both share ambitions to raise professional standards of individuals for the benefit of business, so this represents a positive joined-up approach,” she continued.
                                            
As part of the new agreement, the IMI and its qualifications subsidiary, IMI Awards, will be responsible for managing the quality assurance process for the irtec scheme, which will include the approval of new testing centres, monitoring of the assessments and assessors and working with other qualification bodies who have shown an interest in supporting the scheme.

The IRTE and IMI will also work together to develop future irtec assessments, as well as new National Occupational Standards and vocational qualification frameworks for the commercial vehicle sector, to ensure that the evolving needs of employers are met.

Responsibility for the irtec register of successfully licensed individuals will remain with the IRTE but the IMI takes over the administration process for those wanting to do the assessment and the issuing of the irtec card to those who pass.

Mike Willis, Principal of the Ford College at Daventry, which supports both irtec and the IMI-governed Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) scheme in the light vehicle sector, welcomed the agreement:

“This collaboration between IRTE and IMI will have major benefits for Ford, which has technicians accredited in both the irtec and ATA schemes. The bottom line is that we are driving up standards through the recognition of current competence amongst our car and commercial vehicle technicians. It’s in all our interests that there is one single minded approach to achieving a common ambition.”

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