Rachel Fox spent three years completing a Motor Technician Apprenticeship, which includes NVQs at levels 2 and 3. Here, she talks about her experience and how she sees her career progressing.
Programme: Motor Vehicle Technician Apprenticeship
Qualifications to date: NVQs Level 2 & 3
Training provider: Babcock
Employer: Hitchin Audi
Age: 20
"I began by doing a one year foundation course at Hitchin College, which covered a wide range of aspects of working in motor mechanics, including motorbikes and bodywork. The college encourages students to go into an apprenticeship after the course as it’s acknowledged to be the best training route for this career.
I was really pleased when I secured an apprenticeship with Hitchin Audi, selected from around twenty applicants. As soon as I began my apprenticeship I realised how much more you learn at work, rather than in a classroom. You are learning non-stop, with lots of fine detail alongside the tasks you’re doing.
There is an element of classroom learning, which I do through a ‘block release system’; that is, about every six to eight weeks I go to Babcock’s centre near Nottingham for a week at a time. I really like this system, as it means that you do all the paperwork element of the programme in one hit, rather than grappling with homework at the end of a long day at the garage.
My apprenticeship has been very rewarding and I’ve learned an enormous amount. When I was at school there was a tendency to push us towards going to uni – apprenticeships were frowned upon as a less prestigious option. That’s a real mistake. For a career like mine an apprenticeship is by far the best method for starting out. If I’d done a degree it wouldn’t be taking me to where I really want to go. I’m now ahead of my friends who are still at uni, both in my career path and in my earnings.
My long term ambition is to run my own training garage, staffed by women and encouraging girls to go into the motor technician business. It’s such a great job that I want to make sure other people don’t miss out."
