At Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA), we pride ourselves on ensuring that our technicians are trained to the highest of standards so as to deliver outstanding service to our customers.
In this spirit, I am delighted to be able to announce the return of our annual National Skills Competition, which gives the chance for Toyota forklift technicians and apprentices to hone their technical skills while competing for valuable prizes.
Beginning in February, the 2023 National Skills Competition marks the first time the contest has been held since 2019, having previously run every year since 2007 for technicians and 2008 for apprentices.
Not only does the contest allow Toyota forklift technicians improve their product knowledge and customer service skills, it also provides winning entrants with valuable cash prizes and a money-can’t-buy experience.
The winner of both the technician and apprentice challenges will score a free overseas factory tour to one of Toyota Material Handling’s facilities, with possible destinations including Japan, the US and Sweden.
Furthermore, the winning Master Technician walks away with a $5,000 cash prize, while second and third place win $2,000 and $1,000 respectively.
It’s a great competition, designed to promote and improve technician knowledge and one they eagerly look forward to participating in.
In addition to competing on Toyota forklifts, technicians will also get to compete this year on TMHA’s other product ranges including Huski Construction Equipment and allied products such as sweepers, scrubbers and lift platforms.
The 2023 contest also takes on a new format – previously the competition was split into three different contests representing TMHA’s various brands, but all have been combined into a single contest for 2023.
The competition is split into three stages, with as many of the roughly 430 Australian TMHA technicians as possible encouraged to sign up to participate in the voluntary competition. All apprentices are required to participate.
The first stage takes place in February, in which contestants answer 40 online multiple-choice questions about the TMHA products. An open book test, all answers can be found in the technicians’ repair manuals, promoting the use of product manuals to maximise product knowledge.
The second stage is also an online test, with a mix of multiple choice and long-form answers that help determine the depth of each’s technician’s knowledge. Following the second test, the field will be reduced to eight technicians and six apprentices, who will be flown to Sydney to compete at TMHA’s Moorebank head office to compete in eight different challenges.
Taking place in May, the final technician challenges will contain a mixture of servicing and repair work covering the entire product range, conducted over the course of two days.
The winning Master Technician will then enter into a mentorship program, assisting apprentices for the next three competition years.
Apprentices compete in a one-day event with support provided as needed by the Adjudicators, making for a great learning opportunity when it comes to working under pressure and dealing with customers.
I can’t wait to see the talents of our amazing technicians showcased at this event, and look forward to sharing with you the winner’s details later in the year.
Our TMHA National Skills Competitions offer opportunities for our Toyota Forklift technicians to hone their skills