A group of students who could potentially go on to be the next generation of top automotive technicians, got to see the very latest in aftermarket technical training, on a visit to the Grup Eina International Technical Training Centre in Swords this week. 

The home of the Eure!Car Certified Master Class programmes, hosted a large group of students from the Cavan Institute of Technology. The visit was organised by training partners J&S Automotive, with the second part of the day spent at the J&S headquarters and distribution centre in Park West, Dublin, where the students got to find out about the exciting future of the independent aftermarket.

Eure!Car is the fast developing new concept in automotive training, which provides independent garage owners and technicians with practical hands-on training, using specially adapted vehicles to simulate common technical issues. By doing this, it helps technicians attending the courses to gain a practical insight into how to diagnose, trace and resolve problems.

After an initial presentation on the Eure!Car concept, the Cavan IT group, who are completing a QQI Level 6 course, were soon in the training workshop, with many getting the opportunity to get hands on with the diagnostic equipment. Trainer Dave Dunne, was also able to show the students various problems and solutions, by programming faults into the Eure!Car adapted Peugeot 308 using a special device known as a Gedbox.

After an enjoyable and informative morning spent at the training centre, the Group moved on to the J&S HQ for lunch, followed by a tour of the impressive premises and a presentation on aftermarket developments. They also got to see some of the very latest aftermarket product innovations in a specially prepared display area.

J&S Automotive Sales Manager, Mark Ralph, who helped organised the visit said, "We believe visits like this are important for a number of reasons. We feel it is vital to show students that, from an independent aftermarket perspective, their technical training does not have to end when they finish college.” He added, "We also wanted to demonstrate that the independent aftermarket now offers the same level of technical training as the dealer sector and that it is a highly professional area of business, with very significant and exciting career opportunities.”

Mark concluded, "Over all the visit was a great success, with many of the students commenting on how enjoyable and enlightening it had been. Hopefully, it will inspire some of them to go on to be the next generation of top aftermarket technicians.”