The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has partnered with City & Guilds to offer the Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA).

The new alliance with City & Guilds now means that two of the major awarding bodies in the automotive sector can offer ATA, with IMI Awards already having a network of approved centres running assessments.

ATA is a national, voluntary accreditation scheme designed to test the current competency of individuals working in the automotive sector and is regulated by the IMI, the industry Sector Skills Council and professional association.

Sarah Sillars OBE, chief executive of the IMI, said: “The signing of the agreement with City & Guilds marks a tremendous step forward for the Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) scheme.

“Since its launch in 2005, the scheme has been growing in numbers, now with over 17,000 technicians holding accreditation. This new alliance with City & Guilds shows the continued growth of the scheme enabling more technicians to achieve the ATA standard.”