apprenticeships section

Browse in : [ Apprenticeships section ]

Access all areas

Want to earn while you learn?  No problem.  Experience outside the industry?  There are lots of roles you can move over to.  Finishing your degree soon?  The retail industry has opportunities for graduates from all sorts of disciplines.  To help you get your career up to speed, we’ve provided a low-down on what the automotive sector is – and how to get into it.  It really is a dynamic sector which can offer openings for everyone.   By Dominic Luddy, Sector Careers Manager at Automotive Skills. 

Mapping it out

The retail motor industry describes what happens after the vehicle has left the factory gates. Pendragon, the largest dealer group, achieved over £3.1 billion turnover in 2003/04.  Other key employers are better known, like the Automobile Association, RAC and Kwik-Fit. 

Over 500,000 people employees
70,000 employers
£130 billion turnover a year

 We can break down the motor industry six ways.  As well as specialists like vehicle technicians and parts operatives, for example, each area also requires administrators, personnel staff, accounts staff – the people behind the scenes that keep a business ticking over.

Vehicle Sales

Beyond just a salesperson with the right patter, 21st century vehicle sales is a sophisticated business – managed by on-line stock and customer management systems, and increasingly using the web to reach even more potential buyers.  Finance is of course big business in this industry. 

Vehicle Maintenance, Repair and Fast-Fit

Imagine how we would manage without technicians to keep our cars on the road, whether for business or pleasure, and you can begin to realise the importance of this sub-sector.  Use of electronics and software for fault diagnosis is becoming increasingly commonplace, and even a tyre change may not be a straightforward operation – special tools are needed for example for run-flat tyres. 

Vehicle Body Repair and Refinishing

Think of this in terms of repairing accident damage – this work involves panel beating to flatten the surface, fitting of new parts where appropriate, preparation of the surface and the final repainting.  Especially well suited to those with a creative bent, this sub-sector often attracts young females. 

Vehicle Parts

Somebody – usually titled a ‘Parts operative’ – has to be responsible for making sure all of the workshops in the industry have spare parts to improve and repair vehicles.  Again, very sophisticated computer systems are in place to track location of parts and enable smooth distribution and maintenance of stock.  

Roadside Assistance and Recovery

Can you imagine life without the ‘knights of the road’?  The AA, the RAC and Green Flag are certainly the best known operators.  It takes a lot of technical experience to get into a role on the road, along with excellent customer service skills and maturity to handle potentially distressing situations.  However operational staff behind the scenes are just as important in getting the motorist out of a sticky situation. 

Vehicle Rental and Leasing

With a strong customer focus and an eye to the tourist market, rental describes short term hire of vehicles.  Leasing on the other hand is concerned with the long-term financing of vehicles – often over a three year period.  Rental usually brings employees into direct contact with the customer, whereas leasing is generally office-based. 

Qualifications and experience

Apprenticeship programmes exist for most areas of the industry – and now 14-16 year olds can get a taste of the motor industry through the Young Apprenticeship programme. 

The majority of degree programmes currently in higher education are relevant to motor manufacturing, design and production rather than retail.  However, many degree programmes, for examples Business Studies or Marketing, will bring much-needed skills into the industry.  Typically graduates can find themselves working as vehicle sales executives, or bringing their skills to the finance department. 

Professional Development Programmes in Retail Automotive Management and Retail Automotive Technology are being developed with training provider partners and employers – and are due for launch by 2007.  They will contain a substantial element of work-based learning – and completing either of these courses will earn the award of a Foundation Degree which can be used to progress further to honours degree level.

It’s not just about qualifications though.  Experience in other industries can be really relevant to getting work in the retail motor industry – especially given that much of the work requires similar skills, in for example ICT, admin or marketing.  Sales is a really good example – if you have the confidence to sell somebody a house, there’s a good chance – once you’re up to speed with the product – that you can sell a car, however expensive it is! 

Where to go next

Automotive Skills has a range of resources which give people young and old an insight into the motor industry – and how you can get in – all of which you can access or order through its web portal www.automotiveskills.org.uk/careers.  You’ll find a course and job search there, plus lot more. 

Bikes, Trucks and Automobiles
Heavy vehicles often fall off the radar – but where would we be without people to sell, repair and maintain vehicles for the haulage industry?  Motorbikes and in particular scooters are growing in popularity, as congestion and rising fuel prices make consumers look beyond their accustomed method of transport.  It’s a great tip to train or look for work with bikes or trucks – it’s often better paid, but fewer people think of it!

Guilds www.cityandguilds.com 
Edexcel www.edexcel.org.uk
Institute of the Motor Industry www.motor.org.uk
Motorcyle Industry Association www.mcia.co.uk
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders www.smmt.co.uk
Society of Operations Engineers www.soe.org.uk
Thatcham www.thatcham.org

Well don’t just take our word for it.  We talked to employees of an independent dealership in Cardiff called Fordthorne – who employ 150 people on one site!  They’ve taken on people with all sorts of different experiences and routes in – and we thought you’d like to find out more about them. 

Joining as an apprentice

Charlene

Age 20
Sales Administration Supervisor

After trying out different part-time jobs while at school, and completing AS levels in Physical Education and Design Technology, on the advice of her career adviser Charlene went to an assessment centre organised by ReMIT in Cwmbran.  Obviously this went well, as she was soon asked to come for an interview with the parts department manager at Fordthorne, where she became a trainee stock controller as part of her apprenticeship. 

Over time Charlene has progressed through working as a sales administrator to supervising the sales administration department – a great achievement at such a young age!  The company has made sure she’s kept with her training along the way, sending her to complete courses at Henry Ford College alongside an NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration. 

“The day goes quickly here – so many different customers to deal with – it’s never dull!  If I could give one piece of advice, it would be to find out where your local dealers are – and approach them personally – it makes all the difference whatever level you’re joining at.”

Graduate entry

Darren

Age 24
New Car Sales Executive

It’s not often thought of as a graduate option, but more and more retail motor industry employers are taking on young people with degrees.  Take Darren.  He graduated in Physical Geography and Environmental Management, and was quite open-minded career-wise – but he knew he liked cars. 

He applied to work for Fordthorne after reading an advert in the local newspaper – starting work as a trainee in used car sales.  Since then he’s progressed to become a new car sales executive, having now been with the business for three years. 

“The degree really helps.  It sets you apart from other candidates – and most of all, I’ve used the skills I developed during the course, even though the subject isn’t directly related.  Time management and organisation skills are as important here as they were in getting my degree – and the outdoor fieldwork in my degree has really helped with the team aspects here.”

Experience outside the industry and professional development

Trista Thorne

Age 35
Operations Manager

Leaving school with five O Levels, Trista went to college to study Hotel Management (although she dropped out after one year as it wasn’t for her).  She worked in a solicitors’ firm as a court clerk before joining the housing industry as a negotiator.  In 1998, Trista had her daughter – and after this, decided that she needed a new challenge. 

In 1999 she joined Fordthorne, who realised the value of her customer handling and negotiation skills – becoming marketing manager in 2001.  In August 2006, Trista became Operations Manager.  In the retail motor industry, you keep learning too – she is currently in the final year of studying for a BSc in Automotive Retail Management at Loughborough University. 

Trista’s job is to manage the commercial operation of the dealership across sales and after-sales – with all the departmental managers reporting into her.  As you can guess, there are a huge number of challenges in the job every day – coupled with life as a single mum!

Her advice?  “Don’t take no for an answer.  Be prepared to work hard and do the not-so-nice things – and the rewards will come!”