Counting down to the Canadian Technician of the Year

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We received 29 nominations for our annual Canadian Technician of the Year award. A panel of 12 judges has been going through the nominations… and we’re down to a short list of just eight guys. We’d like to introduce them to you. Over the next eight weeks, we’ll tell you about our finalists. And on October 1, 2013, we’ll announce a winner. So stay tuned!

Nova Scotia’s Jeremy Allen says classroom work gives him the opportunity to keep up with ever-changing technology in the automotive world.

“Teaching is the best way to learn,” says Jeremy Allen, one of Hyundai Canada’s top technicians.

That’s why he spends several weeknights a year training other techs as a Carquest technical trainer. And it’s also why he enjoys his time as a substitute teacher for the automotive program at Nova Scotia Community College.

“The courses I teach have the curriculum set out already, so I get the material, prep it, and then I give the course,” he says. Getting ready to teach the material gives him an opportunity to get the latest information first. “In many ways, it’s like I’m taking the courses myself. I’ve learned a lot doing that.”

His dedication to training in the last few years has certainly paid off.

He has been recognized a number of times by Hyundai Canada, most notably in 2011 when he was named the company’s “Technician of the Year.”

Allen also represented Canada at the Hyundai World Skills Olympics in Korea that same year, bringing home a Superior Skills Award.

Aside from training and participating in international competitions, Allen stands out as a top technician because of his desire to help people.

“If their car is broken, it’s rewarding to help them get back on the road again,” he says. “That’s basically why I got into the industry in the first place. I get to do something I love to do, and help people at the same time.”

In his position as lead technician at Scotia Hyundai, in RIver Hebert, N.S., he often takes time to help the counter staff when they need it.

“He talks to customers on a regular basis. If there’s something the customer has questions about we’ll quite often just go back and get him,” said Michelle Casey, service manager at Scotia Hyundai. “He’ll often go on road tests with customers to diagnose their problems. He’s always willing to help out, and he’s very good at what he does.”

“Jeremy’s the guy who is always doing more, reading up at home, and going above-and-beyond the job.”

If a tech is stuck on something, she said it’s not unusual for Jeremy to come over and try to give them some different ideas of what to look for.

Beyond the small dealership where he works, Allen is also a leader on Hyundai’s technical team. As the most recent competition winner, he’s ineligible to compete again at the international level, but he now works with Hyundai Canada developing new online test criteria for its Tech Recognition Program.

“There are a few tests you have to do throughout the year to compete in the practical test at nationals in Toronto,” Allen explains. “This year I was able to help them develop the online tests.”

And it isn’t the first time Hyundai has come to Allen for help. Recently, he worked with Hyundai engineers from California on an investigation of a vehicle involved in a deadly roll-over.

“They brought it here and we went over all the SRS components. The engineers did most of the work but it was nice to be involved in something like that. I was able to help them determine what the cause of the accident was.”

He also helped his local RCMP detachment in a recent investigation.

“They had a vehicle which was a Hyundai brand that they performed a drug search on and they needed someone with experience to help them basically tear down the car a little further,” he says. “They brought the car to our shop and with two undercover policeman, I helped them tear the vehicle down to find what were looking for.”

Whether it’s getting a customer back on the road, assisting a fellow technician with diagnostics or helping the company improve its online exams, helping people is certainly Allen’s passion.

In his day-today routine, Allen considers himself a true professional, not only in his work habits but also in how he presents himself and how he promotes the industry to the public. When he’s not training other techs, he spends his evenings as a volunteer basketball and soccer coach in his community.

Jeremy certainly impressed our panel of judges, and is now on the short list of eight finalists in the Canadian Technician of the Year awards.