It’s never too late to start a career and develop new skills
At the age of 16, I joined Nationwide Autocentres, now Halfords, as an apprentice to pursue a career within the motor trade. Before joining the apprentice scheme, I’d always had an interest in cars and spent as much time as I could around my dad’s workshop, sitting in on MOT’s, cleaning the workshop, making lots of coffee, fitting tyres and carrying out small repairs (supervised of course).
I remember walking past my local autocentre, one Saturday morning, CV in hand and going in asking if they had any jobs going. The manager at the time was in the back office and he peered round the corner looked me up and down and said “See you Monday” and that was how my journey started.
I started working at the Autocentre branch in Fareham. It was very different from the back street garage that I was used to but I got on with everyone really well. I was lucky enough to have some very skilled technicians to learn from, one of which still works for the company now.
I enrolled onto the company’s 3-year apprenticeship scheme where we did 2 weeks block release every 2 months based in Leamington Spa with Delphi Colleges. Here I gained my Level 3 IMI Qualification in Vehicle Maintenance and Repair.
After completing the apprenticeship, I was ready for the next challenge. I started to spend the odd day in the office eager to learn more about how the business side of things worked and what impact us as technicians have on the business. I definitely believe knowing some of this has helped me throughout the years.
I carried on doing the odd days in the office but with more focus in the workshop. I gained my Level 3 EV and Hybrid qualification, became an MOT Tester and was trained in F-gas, building more and more experience and knowledge. I was always asking for the bigger jobs and interested in ones that I had never done before.
During my years at Halfords, it has been clear to see the development that have been made in the motor trade and the importance of upskilling to keep up with the times. I always enjoyed learning new skills and gaining qualifications so when Halfords started delivering in-house training courses, I attended as many of them as Halfords had to offer and it’s paid off.
I’m proud to say that this year I was invited to join the Halfords T4 Technician Development Programme! I loved every module of the T4 programme, continuously learning new knowledge and skills every month. I also had the opportunity to complete my L4 Electric Vehicle and L3 ADAS qualifications. When I completed this in July 2024, I was one of the first 6 colleagues in the business to be T4 qualified.
The best part of working within Halfords is that we are not brand-specific, which means we see different vehicles every day and I really enjoy this challenge. The way that the industry is moving at the minute means there is so much new technology, which also keeps the job challenging.
Gone are the days of automotive being full of oil and grease monkeys. It has evolved so much, even within the last five years alone. Another misconception is that you do not need lots of qualifications to work in automotive, with the increase in electric vehicles you need a lot of training to be able to work on a car safely.
For me personally, looking back on my career, I have never been bored. Every day there has been a new challenge. The automotive industry will always be here, people will always have a car. It’s just about how this evolves, with the new technology there is so much to work on such as data and computer systems. We need more people with these skills to come into the industry to work on this.
Over the next few years, the sector is going to take off. There are going to be massive advancements. People expect to be able to get in their car and drive it. It’s down to us, the people working in the industry, to be able to provide it. We get to deliver that expectation and that’s really exciting. I’ve worked at Halfords for 19 years, ever since my apprenticeship, yet I still feel like my career path is only just getting started. The industry offers so much, and lots is still yet to be offered. It’s never too late to start a career and develop new skills. Apprentices are the future for the motor industry. Don’t be scared to ask for help and always challenge yourself to be a better version of you.
