We recently caught up with a Vehicle Technician at Jaguar Land Rover who joined the automotive industry through an apprenticeship programme. They gave us insight into why they chose to complete an apprenticeship, their favourite part of the job and their hopes for the future.
Why did you choose to pursue a career in the automotive industry?
I chose to pursue a career in the automotive industry because of my passion for cars. In my younger days I would take things apart and rebuild them just to understand how it works.
I’m a hands on and practical person who is more comfortable in a workshop rather than being stuck in an office environment. For this reason I always knew I wanted to join the automotive industry.
What is your favourite part of the job and why?
My favourite part of the job is repairing a customers vehicle and seeing them happy and grateful to be back on the road. Many a times the customer can go back to their day to day life again and it is satisfying knowing you helped.
I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone who wanted to join the automotive industry. It can be challenging when first starting off but once you settle into your environment and routine it gets easier
Why did you choose to complete an apprenticeship?
I found an apprenticeship that was close to my home, I liked the idea of learning and earning on the job.
With one day a week at college, gaining recognised qualifications which I could use to progress my career, and the rest of the week in a workshop seemed a lot more appealing than just being in college full time.
Do you feel as though your apprenticeship has provided you with the knowledge and skills needed to work in the automotive industry?
Yes definitely, in the industry hands on work experience and theoretical knowledge builds your skills as a vehicle technician, and being in a real world environment you get to learn new skills everyday.
If you’re willing to learn and absorb the skills learnt in your apprenticeship period you have skills for life
Would you recommend completing an apprenticeship to someone who wanted to join the automotive industry?
I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone who wanted to join the automotive industry. It can be challenging when first starting off but once you settle into your environment and routine it gets easier. When I left school it was really difficult to find apprenticeship vacancies as there wasn’t as many opportunities as today.
If you work hard and stick to it, it can be a hugely rewarding career for life. The qualifications and work experience gained with an apprenticeship is more attractive to an employer, and you can also go into higher education if you wished to do so. Overall I’d pick an apprenticeship every time.
What are your hopes for the future?
I currently work for a prestige dealership which I really enjoy. With the ever changing technology of modern vehicles, I am currently training for my Electric Vehicle qualifications.
I would like to continue as a technician for a number of years before opening my own business specialising in the repair and maintenance of bespoke Electric Vehicles. I have further options available in the industry if I decided to change paths but overall the future is bright
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
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