VISTA – Volvo Trucks’ and Volvo Buses’ worldwide competition and training programme for mechanics and service personnel – has now reached the semi finals after the completion of the third and final round of theoretical questions last week.
VISTA 2011 started last September with a record 13704 participants from 75 countries, forming 3740 teams, making VISTA 2011 the biggest in the competition’s 53-year history.
There will be 16 semi finals, held in nine locations worldwide, between late-March and mid-April. Around 150 teams will take part with the best thirty qualifying for the VISTA World Final, which will be held in Gothenburg, Sweden in June. To date the competition has consisted of three rounds of theoretical questions, however in the semi finals teams will have their practical skills tested in workshops too.
“Everyone who has completed all three rounds should be congratulated for their magnificent efforts, and considering the level of competition, all teams who have made it to the semi finals should be tremendously proud,” says Johanna Lundberg, Project Manager for VISTA. “The standards have been very high, and I hope VISTA 2011 has inspired and motivated all teams that have taken part.”
The aim of the competition is to develop and improve employees’ knowledge and skills, and improve Volvo Trucks’ and Buses’ aftersales customer services. It is estimated that every participant who has completed all three rounds of VISTA 2011 has received around 90 hours of extra training.
“VISTA is a great way to develop employee knowledge, skills and teamwork,” says Staffan Jufors, President and CEO of Volvo Trucks. “It is also important in our efforts to improve customer care. Regardless of their final results, every single participant benefits from the experience.”
VISTA is open to all aftermarket employees within the Volvo Trucks’ and Volvo Buses’ global service network, and is currently the largest competition for aftersales personnel in the world. What initially started in 1957 as a competition for Volvo’s mechanics in Sweden has since become an international event. VISTA 2011 is the biggest yet with participants from 75 different countries, in every continent on the globe.
