8:07 am, June 12, 2023
A master technician from a Nissan dealership in south-west Wales is off to Paris this week to pit his skills against fellow professionals from across Europe.
Lewis Thomas, who works at Pembroke Motor Services in Haverfordwest, said he was looking forward to the trip after seeing off competition from 11 other Nissan technicians at the UK round of Nistec 2023 in Doncaster.
He’ll be taking part in the European final in the French capital, with the possibility of a trip to Japan later in the year for a global ceremony.
The biennial Nistec competition operates in Nissan markets globally to highlight the skills of talented master technicians and keep levels of customer satisfaction high.
In Europe, each participating country is allowed to select one technician from its dealership network to take part in the Paris event.
At the Doncaster round, 12 competitors completed practical, real-world tests after undergoing an online assessment that involved more than 100 master technicians from the UK’s Nissan network.
The tests consisted of three tasks – maintenance, electrical and vehicle data record – performed on Nissan Jukes, with the participants given 40 minutes for each one.
John Murphy, Nissan technical lead trainer, said: ‘The skill level was really balanced, with different competitors showing different strengths.
‘With this being the first competition since 2018, it’s a big step that we can take to deliver exciting opportunities to the dealer network population, with the hope of inspiring our next, and current, generation of master technicians to enter the next competition in 2025.
‘I’m sure Lewis will do himself, his dealership and Nissan proud in Paris.’
Nick Phillips, service manager at Pembroke Motor Services, said: ‘It goes without saying that all of us are hugely proud of Lewis’s achievements and delighted that he has the opportunity to go further in this year’s Nistec competition.
‘He is an incredibly valuable member of the team here and deserves to do well.’
Thomas, who has worked there for almost seven years, said he felt ‘excited and extremely privileged’ to be representing the UK at this year’s European Nistec final.
Lewis Thomas is pictured being presented with his winner’s certificate at the Doncaster event by Catherine Hogarty, Nissan Academy GB manager
