Subaru Technician Tom Sanders (left) with Southern Motor Group Dunedin Service Manager Paul McMillan.
Tom Sanders has been chosen to represent Subaru of New Zealand at the 2024 Subaru World Technical Competition.
Subaru Technician Tom Sanders has been preparing ahead of the Subaru World Technical Competition in Japan in November.
Subaru Technician Tom Sanders has been selected to represent New Zealand at the prestigious Subaru World Technical Competition (SWTC) in Japan in November.
Subaru Corporation hosts the renowned bi-annual event, featuring technicians from around the world who have qualified for selection in their local regions.
Sanders, who works for Authorised Subaru Centre Southern Motor Group, in Dunedin, faced a rigorous process to be chosen. Subaru Australia supplied an online entrance exam, which Subaru® New Zealand’s technical department developed and deployed across the dealer network in New Zealand.
Sanders achieved the highest score among all participants in the New Zealand network and his scores were compared with those of his Australian counterparts. This revealed that his skills and aptitude were on par with many of the leading technicians in Australia.
Subaru of New Zealand General Manager, Tim Barns-Lawton explains the next step in the process.
“Following Tom’s performance in our local preselection exam, he was nominated for the next stage, which was a comprehensive online and interactive diagnostics exam designed by Subaru Japan. He successfully passed this exam, thereby earning an invitation to the Subaru World Technician Competition 2024.”
Since Sanders’ invitation to SWTC, the Subaru of New Zealand team have taken additional measures to support Sanders’ preparation. This has included assessing historic SWTC case studies to support his understanding of SBR’s judgement criteria, logical diagnostic path flow, assessment conditions and desired best working practices.
“Based on Tom’s initial assessment results, we now understand his strengths and we have opportunities to support and pinpoint further development within those areas,” Barns-Lawton says.
Sanders was pleased to have made his way through the “challenging” theory questions and was excited to be participating in a world class Subaru competition.
“I’m looking forward to meeting and competing against top technicians from around the world. I’ve heard about previous SWTC competitions and the test vehicle and I am keen to see how well I can perform in Japan,” he said.
The 41-year-old’s interests are cars and “tinkering around getting things to work.” This hobby led to his current role as a Subaru Technician as he had an older model, twin turbo Subaru Legacy he liked working on and it inspired him to apply for the job at Southern Motor Group.
Barns-Lawton said that having a representative at the Subaru World Technician Competition testifies to Subaru of New Zealand’s commitment and perseverance towards technical excellence and customer service.
“This opportunity to compete at the SWTC serves as a reward for Tom’s dedication and exceptional skills. It also fosters a culture of excellence and aspiration amongst our other dealer Technicians within the network. The competition will provide him with exposure to the latest technologies and diagnostic techniques, enhancing his technical capabilities. This knowledge transfer will benefit our entire Subaru service network as Tom can share insights, experiences, and best practices with his team upon his return.
“Tom’s achievement helps position Subaru of New Zealand as a leader in fostering talent and maintaining high service standards towards gaining excellent customer satisfaction,” he said.
Sanders will be attending the 2024 Subaru World Technical Competition in early November to represent Subaru in New Zealand.
Catherine Pattison
Public Relations
Inchcape New Zealand Limited
M: +64 27 4455389
E: catherine.pattison@inchcape.co.nz
