Over the years Karl Vella Group has found it increasingly difficult to recruit the right kind of estimators, so it embarked its own training programme, whereby a school leaver was given the chance to become a fully-fledged estimator.
In a way it was very similar to an apprenticeship, the first 12 months of their training was spent in the car body repair workshop working alongside technicians in MET, Panel & Paint to ensure they had an overall view of the entire repair process. They then worked closely alongside an estimator to fully understand what the estimator's role entailed.
For the next 12 months they would get involved with the general administration in the department and the adding of customer & vehicle details to the Audatex or Glassmatix systems. Over the third and fourth years years they would learn the skills necessary to become an estimator. Starting with small jobs and obvious total losses and then progressing on to being able to carry out estimates on the most complex accident repair.
The Karl Vella Group has an exceptional record when it comes the training of young people, and to emphasise this point, the company’s Craig Wignall has just become the youngest person in Britain to gain VDA ATA status. Hot on his heels, and only marginally behind him on the age stakes is Matthew Vella who has also achieved VDA ATA status. This puts two of the youngest people in the U.K. with VDA ATA status working for the Karl Vella Group.
Both of them started work for The Karl Vella Group straight from school, Craig at the company’s Skelmersdale bodyshop and Matthew at the Southport bodyshop. During their training they have both worked exceedingly hard and the company is rightfully proud of their outstanding achievements.
Good training, combined with an individual’s passion to learn will always produce results; Craig and Matthew are testament to that.