Just before the recent Covid 19 restrictions were put in place, more than a dozen technicians gathered at Avia Sports Cars, in Bridgend, as Schaeffler Technical Manager and REPXPERT, Alistair Mason, delivered a training seminar on dry double clutch and thermal management systems, including the latest ‘intelligent’ water pumps.

Held at the Automechanika Garage of the Year, owner, Hayley Pells, welcomed a network of technicians, all committing a day away from the workshop to learn more about innovative Schaeffler technology, diagnosis and best practice.

Hayley commented, “There is a real need for these kind of events and they should be normalised in our industry. I also think it’s great to have these type of sessions within a workshop environment, as gaining access to further education facilities is not always possible. I was speaking to one workshop owner, who, following his double clutch training, said he would now feel confident in taking work on as opposed to turning it away.”

Hayley recently attended Basingstoke College of Technology for the second REPXPERT Academy LIVE. The quality of the training offered by the REPXPERTs impressed her on the day, so she was keen to invite them back for a training session at her own workshop. She said, “Working with Schaeffler and the REPXPERT team is particularly helpful to us because they really are the experts in our industry. They possess a blend of product knowledge and hands-on experience of what it’s like to fit products. I believe there can be a disconnect between people with product and training knowledge, because fitting something on a bench is very different to fitting something in situ, so when working alongside someone like Alistair, there’s always more empathy and understanding of the challenges we face.”

The relationship between Avia Sports Cars and Schaeffler is evolving even further, with the news that Hayley will be a guest speaker at the forthcoming REPXPERT Academy LIVE event at Blackpool and The Fylde College on June 20th. Hayley will give a presentation about operating an electric vehicle and hybrid workshop, along with EV best practice and safety.