Dublin technicians at vehicle
glass repair and replacement company, Allglass, have become the first in Southern
Ireland to achieve the GQA qualification in automotive glazing through a joint
initiative with Auto Windscreens.
Thirteen technicians at Allglass,
which operates throughout Southern Ireland, gained the industry-recognised GQA
Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Automotive Glazing (QCF) certification. The company now
plans to roll out the assessment across all it depots as part of a wider drive
to be become the ‘best’ glass provider in the country, having not only the
experience, but qualified knowledge and practical skills to deliver an
high-quality service to its customers.
After deciding upon UK glass
specialist awarding body, GQA Qualifications, for it training needs, Allglass
approached Auto Windscreens, an established and forward-thinking leader in the
UK automotive glazing industry, to aid and assess its technicians throughout
the NVQ process.
Paul Purcell, a director at
Allglass, said: “Allglass is delighted to be the first company in Ireland to be
associated with GQA. When we first looked at training and qualifications for
our technicians, we wanted a recognised brand with high standards and an
assessment process of ‘real world’ practices. All other accreditations that we
looked at are assessed in controlled environments.” He added: “We now intend to
roll out this assessment to all our depots throughout Ireland during 2013.”
Following an extensive skills
analysis carried out by Auto Windscreens, a development and assessment plan was
formulated and put into practice. The Allglass technicians were assessed
against the requirements of the industry-developed qualification, covering
health and safety, customer service, removing and replacing both fixed and
opening glass, windscreen repair and the removal of encapsulated windscreens
intact.
Auto Windscreens’ Technical and Training Manager, Chris Bonsall, who also carried out internal quality assurance of the process, commented: “We have long provided GQA training to our own technicians and have developed successful teaching methods that result in a firm understanding of best practice. Allglass is dedicated to delivering a high quality standard of work as is Auto Windscreens, so it made sense for us to share our experience and knowledge with them to ensure best practice across the industry.”
GQA Chief Executive Officer, Mick
Clayton, made two trips to Dublin to monitor assessments taking place. He
concluded: “The commitment to quality and people development was plain to see
from the moment I first stepped into the Wellington Street depot and was further
confirmed throughout my discussions with senior management and technicians.
“Having observed Auto Windscreens’ assessor,
Tony Green, working with Allglass technicians, and seeing the skill levels of the technicians and their assessor, it was more than pleasing to be able to review final candidate
portfolios and deservedly award
the qualifications.”
