More than 500 apprentices took part in the competition, with the finalists taking part in a two-day practical live final at Cardiff and Vale College. Overall, 23 winners were selected across four categories: Light Vehicle Technology, Body Repair, Refinishing and Heavy Vehicle.
The gold medal winners in each category were Ewan Griggor of AM Philip Truck Tech, (Light Vehicle Technology), Leuan Morris-Brown, pictured, of IRG Pontypridd (Body Repair), Adam Neville of Lookers, Charles Hurst in Belfast (Refinishing), and George Hinkley, Scania (Heavy Vehicle).
Richard Hutchins, competitions manager at the IMI, said: "2022 has been another challenging year for the sector, yet we have seen a cohort of highly skilled automotive apprentices, of all ages, step forward. The applicants and finalists come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and from groups that are generally under-represented in automotive. This makes the Class of 2022 even more inspirational, as we work together to make the sector more representative of cultures, genders, ethnicity, visible and non-visible disability, and sexual orientation."
All the eligible finalists now go forward to the World Skills International competition to be held in Lyon in September 2024.