Every single vehicle maintenance technician working across Fraikin’s eight branches in the UK have completed level two of the irtec Licensing Scheme – the nationally-recognised accreditation that assesses technician safety and competence in the road transport industry.
All 74 technicians were tested on their theoretical and practical skills to complete the Service Maintenance Technician programme as part of a commitment by Fraikin to ensure it has a highly-skilled pool of talent within its branches.
Based on the success of the programme, 14 technicians with the highest pass-rates are now working towards their irtec Advanced Technician licence (level three). From this group, a further team will be selected to complete the Master Technician licence (level four), which is the highest irtec accreditation available and will begin in July.
Ant Perfect, Learning & Development Manager at Fraikin, says: “Having subject-matter experts is key to further enhancing the credibility of our workshops and the Master Technician route is the appropriate benchmark for us to have for this across our engineering network.
“As new innovations and technologies are introduced, it is essential to have technicians who are as up-to-date in their knowledge as it’s possible to be. Taking part in the irtec programme also highlights our team as being amongst the best qualified in the industry.”
The level two accreditation covered practical assessments on braking, engine mechanical systems, transmissions, suspensions, steering and electronic systems, before culminating in an hour-long theory exam.
The licences gained are valid for five years and means Fraikin’s entire team of in-house technicians is listed on the national irtec register and bound by a professional code of conduct.
Perfect adds: “Technicians play a vital role within Fraikin and we are passionate about helping them develop the skills to take their career to the next level. The irtec licences provide a great opportunity for them to do just that.”
irtec assesses the competence and safety of technicians who repair vehicles in the commercial vehicle, trailer and passenger-carrying industries. It was established by the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE), the professional sector of the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE), after identifying a need for technicians to be able to prove their skills and competence.
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About Fraikin
Fraikin Ltd is part of the Fraikin Group, the largest commercial vehicle fleet services company in Europe, providing expert fleet management, contract hire and rental solutions to both the private and public sectors. The Fraikin Group, established in France in 1944 by Gérard Fraikin, has operations in 16 countries, with more than 2,800 employees, 7,000 clients, 180 branches and a fleet of 60,000 vehicles. Its operations span Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Morocco, Netherlands, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Poland and the UK.
For further press information please contact:
Gary Baker at Garnett Keeler PR on 020 8647 4467 or by email to gary.baker@garnettkeeler.com
To access Fraikin’s online newsroom please visit https://www.gk.news/fraikin
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