IMI Skills Competitions: Meet the refinishing and body repair champions

The IMI Skills Competitions are a chance for upcoming talent to showcase the immense skills they’ve gained, put themselves to the test against peers, and hopefully walk away with a medal.

Each year brings together the very best, and 2024 was no different, with competitors in the refinishing and body repair categories working hard to take home gold. In the end it was Victoria Steele and Jordan Lingham, both from NPTC and Sinclair Bodyshop and who came out on top in refinishing and body repair respectively.

Second time’s a charm

Steele had some knowledge to fall back on in her attempt to take the top spot, having finished second in 2023.

“The competition this time around has been good, the added confidence definitely helped this time around,” she says.​

Steele’s journey into automotive wasn’t initially as smooth as she’d have hoped, however making the switch from mechanics to accident repair was a huge step in the right direction for her. Later, finding a workplace that supported her professional development gave her the platform to unleash her full potential. Having taken part in the Welsh skills competition, and 2023’s skills competition she adds: “I like challenging myself to showcase my skills against other competitors, so I test my abilities against other great painters and push myself further each time.”​

Now she’s secured gold, her ambitions for the future are simple but will challenge her: “I just want to keep getting better at what I do and aim to be the best painter out there,” she says. ​

Knowledge is power

Another returning competitor is Steele’s fellow NPTC and Sinclair Bodyshop talent, Jordan Lingham.

Lingham reflects on how the 2024 competition differed from his previous experience: “It’s been easier this time around as I’ve been through the process before, which takes off some of the pressure, but it’s still a bit nerve-wracking right at the start of tasks but I suppose you just have to get on with it don’t you? Meeting all the other competitors is great too,” he says.

Lingham joined the body repair sector as a panel tech apprentice, following the same path as his father, who also worked at Sinclair Group. His early exposure to the sector meant he always saw a career in automotive as a possible destination. “I think most my life I’ve been interested in cars and bikes just the same as my dad because he’s always worked on them.”

Lingham’s ambitions now he has the gold medal are to carry on improving: “I just want to keep learning and doing my job better and better, what I like about the job is every day is different so there’s always opportunities to learn new skills or work on different cars,” he says.

Both Steele and Lingham have proven their skills under pressure, and it’ll give them an incredible launchpad for success as they build their automotive careers.

Find out more about the IMI Skills Competitions, stay in the loop for this year’s events and get ready to put your name down. It could be you taking home gold next time.