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Simon Bailes technician ‘one of the youngest in the UK’ to receive prestigious Peugeot accolade

(L-R) Mark Godson, Aftersales Learning & Development Manager, The Performance Academy, PSA Group, Kris Collinson and Paul Wiffen, Service Manager at Simon Bailes Peugeot

An aspiring motor vehicle technician is celebrating after receiving a significant accolade from Peugeot UK.

Kris Collinson has achieved master technician status with the manufacturer, making him one of the youngest people in the UK to receive the accreditation.

Kris, 24, has progressed through the ranks at Simon Bailes Peugeot, having started out as an apprentice with the company in 2012, and he is currently based at the Northallerton dealership.

After finishing his three-year apprenticeship at Simon Bailes’ Guisborough dealership, Kris completed his Service and Maintenance training in 2017, becoming a technician, and qualified as a diagnostic technician in 2018.


He followed these successes up with this latest qualification at the end of January 2019.

Kris said: “I am delighted to have achieved master technician status with Peugeot UK, which is a massive honour for me. I have enjoyed my time within the industry and at Simon Bailes, which supported me throughout my apprenticeship, as I have taken on additional roles at the company and, crucially, during my various qualifications.

“I am now looking to continue my progression within the company and build on this career milestone.”

Commenting on Kris’ success, Simon Foster, PSA Group Apprentice Programme Assistant Manager, said: “Kris always stood out from the group with his attitude towards his own personal development and never cut any corners. He always produced work of the highest standards. As Kris excelled through the programme, he never shied away from helping others in the group when he felt it was necessary.

“I am not surprised to see Kris achieve Master Technician status, in such a time frame, and he is definitely a shining example of what can be achieved when applying an excellent attitude.”

Malcolm Pitman, PSA Group Apprentice Assessor, added: “I visited Kris at his dealership every 10 to 12 weeks, and during that time I got to know him quite well. It was apparent from the early stages that Kris was an exceptional apprentice who was destined for a bright future. I was impressed with his level of maturity and how his new-found confidence could help both staff and customers.”

Simon Bailes, CEO of Simon Bailes Peugeot, said: “Kris is a talented colleague and technician, who is very deserving of this significant Peugeot UK accreditation. We are very supportive of our staff and provide them with the opportunities to develop in their roles as well as gain relevant, industry-standard qualifications, and Kris is a perfect example of this. His commitment and dedication to his role, and subsequent success, embodies our core values of maintaining high standards, ensuring that we provide an excellent customer experience.

“I’d like to congratulate Kris on this latest success, which is a fantastic achievement, especially as he is one of the youngest people in the UK to receive this qualification.”