Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Omega Pixie]

My youngest son has decided he wants to become a vehical technician.  He is 16 and is applying to our local Vauxhall garage to do an apprentiship.  
He will be great at it.  He is always taking things apart and putting them back together.  

[Tab]

Fair play to him, i wish i had done something like that when i was his age.

[Omega Pixie]

He asked at a few garages if he could 'sweep up' etc but they said because of his age and health and safety it wasn't really possible.  so he is helping his dad with my omega....and my micra...one extreme to the other eh!  lol

[Andy B]

.........  He is always taking things apart and putting them back together.  

But  ...... do they work after he's 'fixed' them?        

[Tab]

Can only be a good thing, getting experience with different makes and models.

Good luck to him

[Omega Pixie]

Yes they usually do.  We bought him proper tool kit for christmas and he spent all of christmas day taking his high level bed apart and making it a low one, then built new desk in its place...was an interesting and noisy day....!

[Marks DTM Calib]

How are his results?

Modern cars are very complicated beasts and many garages have a minimum exam entry level in order to get onto the apprenticeship for the main brands. The colleges are still doing the poorer quality courses and training them up on old A series engines though!

Of course, It doesn't help that the main training provider for automotive in the uk (Carter and Carter) went pop a few weeks ago (very poorly run company).

From a personal perspective, its not a job I could face doing for 50+ years but, better to be happy now!

[shyboy]

If he has that 'extra' degree of aptitude, he'll probably want to start his own business eventually. The auto repair/advice world needs more competent and conscientious personnel desperately, and anyone providing a quality service which looks after the customer must have a bright future, despite the uncertainties about the future of motoring as we know it.
I use a very competent local independent tyre shop where the customer always comes first, and he seems to have all the business he can deal with at prices which give real value for money for both parties. And he seems very happy in his work.

[HGV mechanic]

He asked at a few garages if he could 'sweep up' etc but they said because of his age and health and safety it wasn't really possible.  so he is helping his dad with my omega....and my micra...one extreme to the other eh!  lol

  i started my apprenticeship at 16??? theres nothing wrong with that age?? as long as he has maths, english and science grade C and passes a awarding bodies exam he should have no problem??

but as mentioned carter and carter are as good as useless

[Marks DTM Calib]

He asked at a few garages if he could 'sweep up' etc but they said because of his age and health and safety it wasn't really possible.  so he is helping his dad with my omega....and my micra...one extreme to the other eh!  lol

  i started my apprenticeship at 16??? theres nothing wrong with that age?? as long as he has maths, english and science grade C and passes a awarding bodies exam he should have no problem??

but as mentioned carter and carter are as good as useless

They are no more, went into Administration 3 weeks ago and the bank fore closed on them just before easter.

[geoff]

i say he should go for it, he can only try,if thats what he wants to do good luck to him :yand if he gets to work in vauxhall dealer ship,discount for daddy 8-) 8-) 8-)

[markey mark]

i satrted at 16 got out at 24 no decent pay in it unless you work for yourself ! now working as mechyy fitter on steelworks proper money pension the lot !! tell him hard work for not much pay !!  

[Dazzler]

I started as an apprentice in the aircraft game and am still there 20 years later

[Marks DTM Calib]

I started as an apprentice in the aircraft game and am still there 20 years later

Considerably more interesting than doing an 8 hour day carrying out routine servicing and MOT's though......which is what most spanner twirling is these days and definately what the new boys have to do.

You have to be good to do the diag which, unfortunatlely most are not these days.

I was at my local dealership the other week having an MOT done and was told how a teacher popped in from the local school trying to get placements for what he described as his 'more metaly challenged' students.

Man father sudgested that they needed a higher skilled class of entrant and challenged the teacher to work on a modern car.  

[Marie]

I started as an apprentice in the aircraft game and am still there 20 years later

Considerably more interesting than doing an 8 hour day carrying out routine servicing and MOT's though......which is what most spanner twirling is these days and definately what the new boys have to do.

You have to be good to do the diag which, unfortunatlely most are not these days.

I was at my local dealership the other week having an MOT done and was told how a teacher popped in from the local school trying to get placements for what he described as his 'more metaly challenged' students.

Man father sudgested that they needed a higher skilled class of entrant and challenged the teacher to work on a modern car.  

If he wants to be a mechanic i suggest aircraft too. its has very wide prospects and well the money (if not in the forces ) is very good. With some companies they send their own mechanics to downbird aircraft around the world rather then usin someone elses. so you get free trips abroad!