Finalists announced for 2012 UK Master Fitter grand final

Date: 27 August 2012

Following seven regional heats around the UK, the top six scoring automotive glazing technicians have been named for the final of UK Master Fitter 2012, which is being held at the national Skills Show at the NEC, Birmingham, in November.

Battling it out for the title of UK Master Fitter will be (ranked in order of scores, highest first):

Sean Hurley National Windscreens

Steve Abrahams Auto Windscreens

Paul Simpson Motorscreen

Darrell Edmed AA Autowindshields

Peter White Motorglass (AA Autowindshields during heats)

Mark Blaylock Auto Windscreens

At the final, running over two days, the competitors will be required to repair and replace a windscreen and replace a door glass and a rear window, within a specified timeframe, under the watchful eye of the UK Master Fitter judging team.

Now in its third year, UK Master Fitter is part of WorldSkills UK for 2012, which operates a portfolio of 54 competitions for young people and adults, designed to showcase talent in vocational skills across many different industries, including automotive. WorldSkills UK is managed by the National Apprenticeship Service, in partnership with organisations from industry and education.

Co-ordinated by official partner, the Independent Windscreen Academy (IWA), which is providing administration and training assistance, UK Master Fitter is being sponsored by AGC, Dow, Meritool, Sika and Kimberly-Clark Professional. Commenting on the pending final of UK Master Fitter, Neil Robinson, Chairman of the organising committee, said: “We’re delighted that UK Master Fitter is now part of the automotive section of WorldSkills UK and there’s no doubt that it will be a hotly contested final. We’ve seen an increase in the number of entrants this year and the standard has been incredibly high once again. All the finalists are ambassadors for our industry and have demonstrated exceptional skills in the regional heats. The Skills Show will provide an excellent showcase for the automotive glazing sector and help our campaign to attract young people into the industry as apprentices.”

The final and awards ceremony of UK Master Fitter will take place at the Skills Show in Birmingham at the NEC on 16-17 November. During the first two days of the Skill Show, demonstrations of the skills required for automotive glazing will be shown to the public with support from Esprit, JT Tools, Kopak and Panther Pro.

Ends For further information about UK Master Fitter, visit www.facebook.com/ukmasterfitter Follow UKMF on Twitter - @ukmasterfitter

For more information about WorldSkills UK, visit worldskillsuk.apprenticeships.org.uk/