Macklin Motors’ Liam Hendry crowned Hyundai Skills Olympics champion

Liam Hendry from Macklin Motors Hyundai in Dunfermline has emerged as the overall champion in Hyundai Motor UK’s 2024 UK Skills Olympics to identify the "best of the best" among 870 technicians in its retailer network.

The competition is open to all Hyundai Expert and Master Technicians in the UK, with the winner advancing to the European Skills Olympics finals in September.

Technicians were invited to participate through an initial remote test administered via a custom app developed by the Hyundai Motor UK Training Academy. The top 12 performers were then selected to compete in a two-day, in-person event at the High Wycombe training centre.

This event included practical fault-finding diagnostics and assessments of their knowledge of Hyundai's product range.

The UK Skills Olympics also marks the culmination of 18 months of effort by Hyundai Motor UK's in-house Technical Training team. During this period, a specialized curriculum was created, focusing on the latest technologies and diagnostic processes.

Ben Sargeant, Customer Experience Director at Hyundai Motor UK, commented, “The annual UK Skills Olympics is a key event in our training calendar and attracts great interest from our technicians. It’s important to recognize the high level of technical skills and product knowledge our technicians work hard to maintain. Congratulations to Liam on his outstanding result.”

Phil Weston, Technical Training & Development Manager at Hyundai Motor UK, added, “The UK Skills Olympics is designed to challenge even the most skilled Master Technicians, and it’s gratifying to see such high performance levels. We look forward to seeing Liam represent both Macklin Motors and Hyundai Motor UK at the European event in September.”

Hendry will now represent the UK at the European Skills Olympics at Hyundai’s Nürburgring testing facility in September.

“It’s a satisfying achievement,” he said, “especially given the high skill levels of my fellow competitors. I’m excited to represent both Macklin Motors and Hyundai Motor UK in Europe later this year.”

The Hyundai Skills Olympics is an annual national event, with finalists competing biannually at the European Skills Olympics in Germany or the Global Skills Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Hyundai Motor UK has performed well in these events with Tim Cartwright from Stoneacre Hyundai securing 3rd place at the Global Skills Olympics in October 2023.