Kia Canada’s Top Technicians Compete in Korea

From the 400 Kia technicians that work at the firm’s dealer network, eight have qualified for the final “hands on” competition held at the Kia Canada Inc. headquarters. To qualify for this skill testing competition, technicians earned top scores from “Advanced Diagnostics” courses, held throughout 2003.

This year the top eight “techs” that qualified participated in a grueling two-day event. Over the course of the two days, technicians had to complete various written tests and vehicle diagnostic scenarios. The intensity of the testing was further accentuated by limits on the amount of time allowed to complete the tasks. For the hands on practical diagnosis, technicians were operating on the 2004 Sorento and the 2004 Amanti. Mr. Bruce Downie of Applewood Kia (Gold), British Columbia and Rejean Pitre, Moncton Kia (Silver), New Brunswick will be off to Seoul Korea to represent Kia Canada at the Kia World Skills Olympics international event.

“These eight guys have raised the bar for technician skill level throughout the Kia Dealer organization; I am confident Bruce and Rej will place Canada on the podium at the worlds”, Garth Burns, National Service Manager for Kia Canada.

In other Kia news, the firm has announced that purchasers of new Kia vehicles will enjoy free oil changes (up to three per year) for as long as they own their car or truck. The program is available at all Kia dealers in Canada.