Apprenticeships

[corollat3sport]

Hi, guys,

I have just passed my A levels and was thinking if anyone on here could give me advice on apprenticeships?

something like a service technician with a car manufacturer would be nice but i do not really know much about this

anyone on here ever done a apprenticeship?

I enjoy working on cars and would like to progress even further and learn more :D...also i want to do something that i enjoy rather than just sit behind a desk...more hands on and practical

how about Toyota? lol

any advice would be much appreciated guys

cheers!

[b1gpkr001]

I know this may not be much help but I know virgin Atlantic do apprenticeships for aircraft engineering. And rollsroyce do aerospace engine apprenticeships. Just an idea may take your fancy.

[b1gpkr001]

What a levels did you do?

[mr-p]

best thing to do is go round all the local garages, show them that your interested in working in the industry and see if they would take you on as an apprentice, if you dont already have something like an imi in veh mecanics you will have to go back to college. The imi is a 3 year course. Normally if you do an apprentiship it will be day release and you may even do an nvq alongside it instead of just the tech cert at college. :)

[Adam-Up]

apprenticeships for aircraft engineering. And rollsroyce do aerospace engine apprenticeships.

You'd probably be better off going for something in the above if your looking for good money.

Not trying to put you off but generally there aint allot of money to be made as a mechanic.

Depends really on where and who your working for, but in general there aint loads of money in it.

If you really enjoy doing it though, it wont bother you.

[Corrolla18]

Hi mate, I did my A levels a long time ago now and I went to uni, however went to be an aprentice when I got back and was told by near enough every garage that I was told old/qualified. You don't want to be a mechanic - if I had my time again I would have gone to uni and got an engineering degree and been an engineer, myerscough college do a motorsport engineering degree and they run a rally team for a year. The worse bit is I did the imi qualies with my own money at night school and still couldn't get on - I work on the railway as a tech now but went about it all the hard way.

[reidy]

How old are you?

This may just be for the trade I work in (fire/security systems) but the government have dropped all funding for apprenticeships for anybody over 19, fortunately for us our apprentices will be 19 when they complete the scheme but if they were any older they would have to pay for the remaining years (course £1500, NVQ £1000+ per year)

Also remember its not what you know but who you know (mechanics forums *cough)

best thing to do is go round all the local garages, show them that your interested in working in the industry and see if they would take you on as an apprentice, if you dont already have something like an imi in veh mecanics you will have to go back to college. The imi is a 3 year course. Normally if you do an apprentiship it will be day release and you may even do an nvq alongside it instead of just the tech cert at college. :)

Bang on there mate

[Adam-Up]

Also remember its not what you know but who you know (mechanics forums *cough)

Spot on there! it's always not what you know but who you know which used to get on my !Removed! when I started out.

[corollat3sport]

thanks for the quick response guys :D

im 18 and i did business A levels and now i know that it is something that i am not too interested in hence why i am not carrying on the same subject at uni

basically i did my work experience during my GCSE's at a garage which was back in 2008, however i know them very well so should i ask them if they can take me on as a apprentice? also i get my M.O.T done there and my dad gets it all done there so we know them very well

they also offered me a job there which i didn't take on as i chose to do A levels, but now i wish i had and did an apprenticeship earlier with them

and if the garage decide to take me on as a apprentice how will this work or what will happen?

again any advice will be very helpful

[coupe-moe]

not wanting to put you off doing what you want to do, but forwarned is forarmed. Just like Adam-up said, there is no money in mechanics. apprenticeships are very hard to come by now as the government have cut funding so much and the company has to foot the bill for someone (in their eyes) who will only be a drain for 3 years at least. the easiest way to get into mechanics retail is either going back to college and hoping you can find employment at the end, or getting into fast-fit, which has nothing nice about it. I done my A-levels and equilivent (im almost 25 now) in business, computer stuff and media. went to uni for a audio engineering HNC and decided i wanted to work on cars when i left there. At 19 i was too old for an apprenticeship with local garages. main dealers only tend to take school leavers (easier to 'mold')so i ended up in fast fit. almost 6 years on, my pay hasent gone up a penny, had 5 garage based jobs, been made redundant twice, managed to get into a couple of 'mechanical' garages (opposed to fast-fit) gained alot of experience there and with my own private work, just to end up back in fast-fit again where i have to work all week including saturdays and 1 in 3 sundays, for pay that doesnt even allow me to get my own place with my gf.

thats the reality of someone working on getting out of the motor trade before it completly destroys one of my biggest interests, and affects my health to the point i cant do what im passionate about (music) because it does take a physical toll on ya.

sorry to put a blunt on it, but thats the reality of it im afraid mate.

[reidy]

My honest advice would be to get into something that isn't purely based on price because at the end of the day someone can always do it cheaper

Institutions like National Grid, NHS, Police, Network Rail, Local council, Health and Safety etc are good to get into as they usually have very good career paths

[corollat3sport]

not wanting to put you off doing what you want to do, but forwarned is forarmed. Just like Adam-up said, there is no money in mechanics. apprenticeships are very hard to come by now as the government have cut funding so much and the company has to foot the bill for someone (in their eyes) who will only be a drain for 3 years at least. the easiest way to get into mechanics retail is either going back to college and hoping you can find employment at the end, or getting into fast-fit, which has nothing nice about it. I done my A-levels and equilivent (im almost 25 now) in business, computer stuff and media. went to uni for a audio engineering HNC and decided i wanted to work on cars when i left there. At 19 i was too old for an apprenticeship with local garages. main dealers only tend to take school leavers (easier to 'mold')so i ended up in fast fit. almost 6 years on, my pay hasent gone up a penny, had 5 garage based jobs, been made redundant twice, managed to get into a couple of 'mechanical' garages (opposed to fast-fit) gained alot of experience there and with my own private work, just to end up back in fast-fit again where i have to work all week including saturdays and 1 in 3 sundays, for pay that doesnt even allow me to get my own place with my gf.

thats the reality of someone working on getting out of the motor trade before it completly destroys one of my biggest interests, and affects my health to the point i cant do what im passionate about (music) because it does take a physical toll on ya.

sorry to put a blunt on it, but thats the reality of it im afraid mate.

thanks man, so basically at 18 its not worth me doing the apprenticeship even if i go to a local garage and ask them or go to a car manufacturer?

[coupe-moe]

you never know it might be worth it. but from my experience getting an apprenticeship is very difficult now. I know a few main dealers round my way have put a stop on taking apprentices at all because they cant afford it. try what you can man, like i said forwarned is forearmed :) if it was me i'd be looking for at what one of the other guys said about going to aeronutics if engines and grease is what your looking for.

[mr-p]

at 18 id say you were the perfect age. if you don't ask you don't get! I did mine at 23 after being in the forces for 4 years getting out having jobs in local garages etc then found my current job and they said if i want more money then i had to go back to college and get the proper qualifications. they enrolled me at college arranged a nvq in light vehicle and one in heavy vehicle repair. honestly don't do the fast fit course its not worth it if you are really interested do as much as you can! I was really lucky and did all this while earning a good wage because of all my other qual's but during the time you are at college they can pay you as little as £90 a week but at the end of it the skys the limit you can go on and do a hnc and hnd and get the experience you need,work in a dealer and work towards master tech????!!! anythings possible

[corollat3sport]

at 18 id say you were the perfect age. if you don't ask you don't get! I did mine at 23 after being in the forces for 4 years getting out having jobs in local garages etc then found my current job and they said if i want more money then i had to go back to college and get the proper qualifications. they enrolled me at college arranged a nvq in light vehicle and one in heavy vehicle repair. honestly don't do the fast fit course its not worth it if you are really interested do as much as you can! I was really lucky and did all this while earning a good wage because of all my other qual's but during the time you are at college they can pay you as little as £90 a week but at the end of it the skys the limit you can go on and do a hnc and hnd and get the experience you need,work in a dealer and work towards master tech????!!! anythings possible

right thank you mr-p, so what you are saying is i should go and ask a garage to take me on as a apprentice which will mean that i will get a qualification by studying at a college and doing all the practical at my chosen garage?

thanks again guys for the response :D

coupe-moe - yeah you are right, it is very hard at the moment

[mr-p]

at 18 id say you were the perfect age. if you don't ask you don't get! I did mine at 23 after being in the forces for 4 years getting out having jobs in local garages etc then found my current job and they said if i want more money then i had to go back to college and get the proper qualifications. they enrolled me at college arranged a nvq in light vehicle and one in heavy vehicle repair. honestly don't do the fast fit course its not worth it if you are really interested do as much as you can! I was really lucky and did all this while earning a good wage because of all my other qual's but during the time you are at college they can pay you as little as £90 a week but at the end of it the skys the limit you can go on and do a hnc and hnd and get the experience you need,work in a dealer and work towards master tech????!!! anythings possible

right thank you mr-p, so what you are saying is i should go and ask a garage to take me on as a apprentice which will mean that i will get a qualification by studying at a college and doing all the practical at my chosen garage?

thanks again guys for the response :D

coupe-moe - yeah you are right, it is very hard at the moment

yep thats about it if they agree to it, it is hard and i do understand that, but if you want it you got to go for it. whats the worst that could happen? he says no. oh well try else where

[corollat3sport]

at 18 id say you were the perfect age. if you don't ask you don't get! I did mine at 23 after being in the forces for 4 years getting out having jobs in local garages etc then found my current job and they said if i want more money then i had to go back to college and get the proper qualifications. they enrolled me at college arranged a nvq in light vehicle and one in heavy vehicle repair. honestly don't do the fast fit course its not worth it if you are really interested do as much as you can! I was really lucky and did all this while earning a good wage because of all my other qual's but during the time you are at college they can pay you as little as £90 a week but at the end of it the skys the limit you can go on and do a hnc and hnd and get the experience you need,work in a dealer and work towards master tech????!!! anythings possible

right thank you mr-p, so what you are saying is i should go and ask a garage to take me on as a apprentice which will mean that i will get a qualification by studying at a college and doing all the practical at my chosen garage?

thanks again guys for the response :D

coupe-moe - yeah you are right, it is very hard at the moment

yep thats about it if they agree to it, it is hard and i do understand that, but if you want it you got to go for it. whats the worst that could happen? he says no. oh well try else where

aha cheers again mr-p, but what will make them want to say no? funding it or finance or...?

[mr-p]

anything could make them say no. they may not have the business for extra staff, may not want an apprentice, not afford it. but you never no

toyota

[corollat3sport]

oh okay cool, im going to apply for the toyota one and thanks for the link

its always good to give it a go right :)

[reidy]

Best of luck mate

[corollat3sport]

Best of luck mate

thank you very much reidy, i will need it :D

[msprince]

Go on fords website too. I did my apprenticeship with them.

I got told by most folk they hate it an i should do something else but i love it an think i still will.

Im only at the start of my career but i will be a qualified mot tester within 6 months and im going to start training for senior technician.

You could also apply for any of the manufctures apprenticeships better off applying to everyone.

I sent out over 200 letters to different companys to see if they were looking for apprentices none replied i did ring them but got told not at the mo, just as i was giving up ford apprenticeships rang up and said ive been accepted to their program.

My advice is if you think you will enjoy it then go for it.

[Jamesbelfast]

Also consider being a plumber or electrician. Both these trades are very much bomb-proof. Every person in our society has need of both. Also these skills will get you work abroad if you ever get the lust to wander.

I knpw of a barrister who gave up law and within 3 years he started his own plumbing business simply because he could earn more than he ever hoped to as a barrister.:)

[corollat3sport]

Go on fords website too. I did my apprenticeship with them.

I got told by most folk they hate it an i should do something else but i love it an think i still will.

Im only at the start of my career but i will be a qualified mot tester within 6 months and im going to start training for senior technician.

You could also apply for any of the manufctures apprenticeships better off applying to everyone.

I sent out over 200 letters to different companys to see if they were looking for apprentices none replied i did ring them but got told not at the mo, just as i was giving up ford apprenticeships rang up and said ive been accepted to their program.

My advice is if you think you will enjoy it then go for it.

hi mate,

i would like to become a mot tester too but don't really know how? if i do it with ford would i become one? and then can a carry onto becoming a technician?

i asked my local garage today that if they would take me on as an apprentice and they said yes they would, so what do i do now? ask a college or something?

again thanks for the advice and help guys, really appreciate it :D

[mr-p]

Go on fords website too. I did my apprenticeship with them.

I got told by most folk they hate it an i should do something else but i love it an think i still will.

Im only at the start of my career but i will be a qualified mot tester within 6 months and im going to start training for senior technician.

You could also apply for any of the manufctures apprenticeships better off applying to everyone.

I sent out over 200 letters to different companys to see if they were looking for apprentices none replied i did ring them but got told not at the mo, just as i was giving up ford apprenticeships rang up and said ive been accepted to their program.

My advice is if you think you will enjoy it then go for it.

hi mate,

i would like to become a mot tester too but don't really know how? if i do it with ford would i become one? and then can a carry onto becoming a technician?

i asked my local garage today that if they would take me on as an apprentice and they said yes they would, so what do i do now? ask a college or something?

again thanks for the advice and help guys, really appreciate it :D

hi mate thats good news you shouldn't have to do anything the employer should contact the college etc and you just start working there and start the course at college if it is a proper apprenticeship?

to be an mot tester you either have to be working in the trade for 4 years iirc or have a city & guilds lvl 3 or imi lvl 3 or equivalent in motor vehicle repair, then when have that there is a course you go on and test to sit. hopefully if your apprenticeship goes well the employer will put you on the testers course at no cost to you assuming its a mot testing facility?