Kiwi technicians top Yamaha Oceania Technician Grand Prix 2016
by Kim Fox on 30 Nov 2016
The Finalists: Back row, left to right: Mathew Barlow Tristram Marine NZ Brendan Morrisby Lewis Marine VIC Angus Short Coast Road Motors SA Graham Coulter Northside Marine QLD Front row, left to right: Chris Willson Broadwater Boating Cent Yamaha Motor
Kiwi technicians took out the top two spots at the recent Yamaha Oceania Technician Grand Prix 2016
The Yamaha Marine Technician Grand Prix, which took place on the 16th of November 2016, is a technical
knowledge and skills based contest, held at Yamaha’s National Marine Training facility in Brisbane.
The event brings together the very best Yamaha Marine Technicians from Yamaha dealerships all over Australia and New
Zealand. These exceptionally skilled technicians represent their dealership, state, and country, in their quest to be
crowned the most outstanding marine technician in the Trans-Tasman region.
The competition, held biennially, is a major highlight for the Yamaha Technical Academy (YTA), who pride
themselves on the skills Yamaha technicians develop through the extensive training the academy delivers. YTA’s
mission is to keep Yamaha’s Marine Technicians up to date with the cutting edge skills and knowledge required to
support the ever developing range of Yamaha outboard engines.
Competitors must satisfy the following conditions before they are eligible to sit the initial qualification exam:
- Participants must be nominated by their dealerships owner / manager.
- Participants must be qualified technicians.
- Participants must be a current Yamaha Technical Academy (YTA) members.
- YTA members must have been in the Yamaha Dealer Network for 12 months or more.
- YTA members must have attended Yamaha training.
- YTA members must be an employee of a Yamaha dealership.
- Previous Grand Prix Winners are ineligible to compete in future Technician Grand Prix competitions
After all potential candidates have completed the online qualifying assessment, eight finalists from regions across
Australia and New Zealand are selected to compete in the official event.
The event breeds ambition and healthy competition within Yamaha workshops, as technicians aspire to be
selected to attend the Grand Prix which is essentially race day in Yamaha`s Technical Academy program. The
event keeps skill levels for marine servicing in Yamaha dealerships throughout Australia and New Zealand at very
high levels.
The personal development of Yamaha technicians in the market through this training and testing equates to
excellence in aftersales service for Yamaha customers, who consequently are the real winners from the
knowledge and skills gained by Yamaha Technicians who take part in YTA’s programs.
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