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A Guide To Motor Vehicle Service & Maintenance Technician Apprenticeships

Introduction To Motor Vehicle Service & Maintenance Technician Apprenticeships
Are you the type of person who loves to search for problems and find the solution to those problems? If you are practical and love to work with your hands and you also have a passion for motor vehicles of any type, then how about considering a Mechanic Apprenticeship?

Apprenticeships are an ideal alternative for those of you who are looking to get straight out there into the world of work rather than going onto university after leaving school. Doing trainee mechanic jobs by way of an Apprenticeship means you will receive structured training, you will get a wage and, on successful completion of all the components, you will also receive a nationally recognised qualification. This means future employers will know you have had the necessary training to carry your job out effectively.

Did you know there are over 32 million vehicles on Britain’s roads? That’s a lot of cars, vans, lorries, buses and coaches that need to be serviced, maintained and repaired on a regular basis. Mechanic Apprenticeships mean you could be working to keep any of these types of vehicles on the road and operating safely.

Royal Mail

110 locations across the UK

3 Year Light Vehicle Maintenance Apprenticeship

Royal Mail apprentices learn through on-the-job training and classroom learning. We take young adults with a flair for mechanics and engineering, and turn them into automotive experts.

Some 47,000 vehicles make our fleet one of the largest in the UK. To keep it efficient and effective whilst also supporting our commercial external maintenance expansion plans, we rely on a crew of vehicle technicians to handle everything from changing wheels to implementing aerodynamic design and keeping up with rapidly changing vehicle technology including electric vehicles.

3 GCSE's graded C or above, including maths, English and science, are required for the Level 3 apprenticeship.

Army

Nationwide

Vehicle Mechanic Apprenticeship

Looking to develop your skills? Travel the world? Make new friends? Whoever you are and whatever you want to do, an Army apprenticeship can help you get there.

As a Top 100 Apprentice Employer, we have over 8,000 apprentices passing their training with us each year, in roles including Vehicle Mechanic and Avionics Technician.

How Do Motor Vehicle Service & Maintenance Technician Apprenticeships Work?
When you are working as a mechanic, there are two types of Vehicle Mechanic Apprenticeship you could do. If you are working in a garage doing HGV mechanic jobs or working with other heavy vehicles, you can specialise by doing the Apprenticeship Standard for Heavy Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician.

If you are looking for entry level car mechanic jobs or you are already working in a garage and you want to gain a recognised qualification, then you can do the Apprenticeship Standard for Light Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician.

Your Apprenticeship will vary depending on your employer. Some of you might prefer to work for a particular dealership doing BMW Mechanic Apprenticeships or Audi Mechanic Apprenticeships, for example. Others of you could be working in a local independent garage where customers drop their vehicles in for service or repair and this could be any make or model.

Bus Mechanic and HGV Mechanic Apprenticeships could mean you are attached to a particular company operating from their dedicated garages.

Whatever type of Mechanic Apprenticeships you prefer to do, these days, because technology is advancing at such a rapid rate, your day to day work is much more than delving around in oily engines with spanners and other tools. Repair and maintenance of vehicles also requires a knowledge of the electrical and computer systems that make vehicles function. You will need to be able to use a variety of diagnostic equipment to get to the bottom of problems and the Motor Vehicle Service And Maintenance Technician should equip you with the knowledge and skills to do this.

What are the other skills you will need to learn in order to be successful in trainee mechanic jobs. As well as dealing with the actual vehicle, you will also learn about how your particular garage functions. What are the components that come together to keep the garage operating in a safe way?

Also, this is especially true of Mechanic Apprenticeships specialising in small vehicle repair and maintenance, you will need to be good at customer service. When customers are leaving their prized vehicle with you, they need to know exactly when they will be able to pick it up. Many customers also want to know exactly what went wrong with their vehicle. If you can explain this to them in a clear way that is easy to understand, you will gain their trust and this creates repeat business.

So, as you can see, Mechanic Apprenticeships are much more than learning about what goes on under the bonnet of a vehicle.
Mechanic Apprenticeships - Outline And Qualifications
First of all, let’s take a look at the Light Motor Vehicle Service And Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship Standard.You will gain knowledge and skills in the following areas:
  • Vehicle technology
  • Characteristics of light vehicles
  • Problem solving techniques
  • Emerging technologies and how they will impact your role in the future
  • Maintenance of the workshop
  • Service and maintenance
  • Repair
  • Investigating symptoms and apply techniques using diagnostic tools
  • Behave in a professional manner and work within the policies of your garage
This is a Level 3 Mechanic Apprenticeship and will typically take 3 years to complete. If you didn’t achieve this at school, you must gain Level 2 Maths and English before completion of your Apprenticeship. This is the equivalent of grades A-C at GCSE.

Because of the nature of your role, you will also gain a qualification that meets with EU’s 2014 F-gas Regulation.
Heavy Motor Vehicle Service And Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship Standard
During this Mechanic Apprenticeship, you will learn knowledge and skills such as:
  • The fundamentals of HV technologies
  • The types of HV and their configurations
  • Problem solving techniques
  • Health and safety awareness
  • Operators O Licence requirements relating to HVs
  • How to service, inspect and maintain vehicles and trailers
  • Customer expectations
  • Time keeping and diligence
  • How the business works
  • Complex diagnostics and problem solving techniques
  • Roadside assistance
This is a Level 3 Mechanic Apprenticeship and will typically take 3 years to complete. You will need to achieve Level 2 Maths and English (GCSE Grades A-C equivalent), if you didn’t do this previously, before completing your Apprenticeship.

Once you have completed the Heavy Vehicle Apprenticeship Standard, you will be an Engineering Technician and this will allow you to apply for registration with a relevant professional body as an Engineering Technician (Eng.Tech).

For both Apprenticeships, if you are already doing mechanic jobs and you have a level of experience, you could do your Apprenticeship in less than 3 years.
Future Career Development After Motor Vehicle Service & Maintenance Technician Apprenticeships
Whether it’s in light vehicles or heavy vehicles, once you have completed your Level 3 Mechanic Apprenticeship, it doesn’t have to stop there. You can discuss with your employer about the progression route for you. Some of you might choose to continue further into an engineering career. You could become a master technician or go into management. Others of you might choose to open your own garage and be self-employed. It’s down to you to decide which direction you want to take your initial trainee mechanic jobs in.
Apply For Motor Vehicle Service & Maintenance Technician Apprenticeships In The UK
So, are you still chomping at the bit to get into a garage and start Car Mechanic Apprenticeships or HGV Mechanic Apprenticeships? Whichever route you want to take, take a look to see if there are any current vacancies to suit you.
1-20 of 134 jobs

Aircraft Technician (Avionics) Apprenticeship

Royal Air Force

United Kingdom

£18.6k starting salary, £23.4k after 6 months....

Weapon Technician Apprenticeship

Royal Air Force

United Kingdom

£18.6k starting salary, £23.4k after 6 months....

GWR Apprenticeship Schemes

GWR

United Kingdom

Competitive salary

Army Apprenticeship

Army

Bournemouth

Around £23,000 per year

Aircraft Technician (Avionics) Apprenticeship

Royal Air Force

Peterborough

£18.6k starting salary, £23.4k after 6 months....

Weapon Technician Apprenticeship

Royal Air Force

Aberdeen

£18.6k starting salary, £23.4k after 6 months....

Weapon Technician Apprenticeship

Royal Air Force

Leicester

£18.6k starting salary, £23.4k after 6 months....

Army Apprenticeship

Army

Newcastle upon Tyne

Around £23,000 per year

Aircraft Technician (Avionics) Apprenticeship

Royal Air Force

Liverpool

£18.6k starting salary, £23.4k after 6 months....

Army Apprenticeship

Army

Milton Keynes

Around £23,000 per year

Army Apprenticeship

Army

Lincoln

Around £23,000 per year

Aircraft Technician (Avionics) Apprenticeship

Royal Air Force

Glasgow

£18.6k starting salary, £23.4k after 6 months....

Army Apprenticeship

Army

Coventry

Around £23,000 per year

Army Apprenticeship

Army

Peterborough

Around £23,000 per year

Aircraft Technician (Avionics) Apprenticeship

Royal Air Force

Aberdeen

£18.6k starting salary, £23.4k after 6 months....

Aircraft Technician (Avionics) Apprenticeship

Royal Air Force

Stoke-on-Trent

£18.6k starting salary, £23.4k after 6 months....

Aircraft Technician (Avionics) Apprenticeship

Royal Air Force

Belfast

£18.6k starting salary, £23.4k after 6 months....

Aircraft Technician (Avionics) Apprenticeship

Royal Air Force

Manchester

£18.6k starting salary, £23.4k after 6 months....

Weapon Technician Apprenticeship

Royal Air Force

Glasgow

£18.6k starting salary, £23.4k after 6 months....

Army Apprenticeship

Army

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Around £23,000 per year

1-20 of 134 jobs

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