Toyota has announced the Australia-wide winners of its 27^th annual National Skills Contest for sales and service staff.

Forty finalists in vehicle and industrial equipment divisions competed for prizes, including the ‘Skills Winners Study Tour of Japan’ or an invitation to the ‘Assembly of Champions’, also at Toyota in Japan.

All finalists passed through individual Toyota dealership trials, through to regional competitions and then to the national final.

The competition expanded this year to eight categories including Sales Walkaround, Parts Representative, Service Advisor, Customer Relations, and Industrial Equipment Sales Walkaround.

Finalists in these categories were given role-play exercises based on real life customer situations.

The competition also tested the "hands-on" skills categories of Technician, Industrial Equipment Technician and Air Skill Technician.

Competition coordinator Ray Lawson, general manager of Toyota’s National Training Institute, said the aim of the competition was to further improve skills in sales and service and technical ability for Toyota customers.

"We are not only judging the competitors," he said. "We are also learning how to deal better with customers’ requirements."

Mr Lawson said the 2000 competition drew a mix of younger finalists and those with many years experience in the industry.

"The National Skills Contest will put all the finalists in a better position when they have to face the same types of challenges in the workplace," he said.

The winners of the 2000 Toyota National Skills Competition are: