Apprenticeships mechanics

MKelly202

Hi all, I haven't a clue if im in the right section or if making this thread is right to be seen.

I'm currently trying to get an apprenticeship in the limerick area, Im having no luck what so ever with it. So i'm looking for some help and advice on getting one.

I want to know if anyone who has gone through the apprenticeship route , or any employers here who have taken on an apprentice.

First question is for those who have went the apprenticeship route: How did you do it, What attributes did you have that made you successful? Have you any tips on getting one.

Second question is for employers who may be on here: What do you look for in a young lad who's trying to get an apprenticeship?

Any help appreciated!

mikeecho

Have you tried FÁS (or whatever it's called these days)

MKelly202

Yeah i contacted them, they told me to find an employer to employ me and within 2 weeks of my employment register me as an apprentice..

MKelly202

mikeecho wrote: »

Have you tried FÁS (or whatever it's called these days)

But thats just it, Trying to get employed and registered so far no one is looking for an apprentice, Or at least who ive went to.

goochy

Know it's a long shot but maybe contact simi?

MKelly202

goochy wrote: »

Know it's a long shot but maybe contact simi?

I did around 6 months ago, but ill give them another email, see if anything is different this time

GB FAN GALWAY 30

Might be helpful to place a small ad in the main local papers, outlining the areas you're seeking an apprenticeship in.

MKelly202

never thought of that now, That might help

Toyotafanboi

I'd be aiming towards main dealers if I was looking. There is a drought of good mechanics at the moment and a lot of manufacturers are recommending their dealers to take on apprentices to grow their own future mechanics. An independent is fine but I'd say in 99% of independents it's all about who you know.

You don't need any skills to become an apprentice which makes it both very easy and very difficult. We get numerous C.V.s every day for mechanic and apprentice positions. I'd say the ticket to getting an interview for getting an apprentice position is having a well presented C.V. even if there isn't much content. Don't use silly or large fonts or switch between fonts, don't ramble on etc, a well formatted C.V. is your best bet. Any sloppy C.V.'s, ones with poor spelling, bad grammar etc don't go down well.

When you get to an interview, dress smart. The amount of people coming to interviews lately with a terrible dress sense is phenomenal. I've witnessed a few recently where even one chap turned up in a pair of Canto's and his county colours ffs. A lot of lads aren't wearing ties too which is bad, wear a tie, we had one average fella in and we were stuck to fill a position so he was likely to land the job if he was any way decent and after a bit of deliberation, the reason he didn't get a call back is because he wasn't wearing a tie. You don't need an Armani suit but if you are cash strapped a Pennies suit is a minimum IMO.

MKelly202

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

I'd be aiming towards main dealers if I was looking. There is a drought of good mechanics at the moment and a lot of manufacturers are recommending their dealers to take on apprentices to grow their own future mechanics. An independent is fine but I'd say in 99% of independents it's all about who you know.

You don't need any skills to become an apprentice which makes it both very easy and very difficult. We get numerous C.V.s every day for mechanic and apprentice positions. I'd say the ticket to getting an interview for getting an apprentice position is having a well presented C.V. even if there isn't much content. Don't use silly or large fonts or switch between fonts, don't ramble on etc, a well formatted C.V. is your best bet. Any sloppy C.V.'s, ones with poor spelling, bad grammar etc don't go down well.

When you get to an interview, dress smart. The amount of people coming to interviews lately with a terrible dress sense is phenomenal. I've witnessed a few recently where even one chap turned up in a pair of Canto's and his county colours ffs. A lot of lads aren't wearing ties too which is bad, wear a tie, we had one average fella in and we were stuck to fill a position so he was likely to land the job if he was any way decent and after a bit of deliberation, the reason he didn't get a call back is because he wasn't wearing a tie. You don't need an Armani suit but if you are cash strapped a Pennies suit is a minimum IMO.

Thanks for this, This is a great insight.
Ive been seeing a lot lately on linkedin and facebook about skilled mechanics being on the decline.
Whats frustrating is that when someone is trying cant seem to get anywhere..feel like im going in circles.

Ive gotten a few interviews but I was unsuccessful every time. I always dressed smart, but didnt have a complete suit. i wore black slacks black shoes and a tie matching their colors For example Audi S line is Red and skoda is green.

I wonder if its the actual interview part, maybe i didn't answer their questions right..
I think my CV is fairly decent and i think my dress code is good but could be just that bit better.

Do you have a leaving cert?

mycro2013

I served an apprenticeship back in the day and I'll offer you the following advice.

1. Approach a main dealer (try and stick with the likes of toyota, ford or a prestige manufacturer) and ask for some work over the summer months. When you're in the door have a chat with the workshop supervisor regarding an apprenticeship. A lot of places want to get to know a lad/lady before offering them an apprenticeship. This will also allow you to determine if the trade is for you. I ve seen lads get a trade and after a few months decide it wasnt not for them.

2. Aim to serve your time in the best possible garage which offers you the opportunity to progress and use the most update equipment and work practices. Don't let the hourly rate determine your choice. Apprentice rates are temporary.

Keep knocking on doors I got my apprentice by approaching the company directly it shows that you are taking initiative and being proactive.

John_Rambo

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

I'd be aiming towards main dealers if I was looking. There is a drought of good mechanics at the moment and a lot of manufacturers are recommending their dealers to take on apprentices to grow their own future mechanics. An independent is fine but I'd say in 99% of independents it's all about who you know.

You don't need any skills to become an apprentice which makes it both very easy and very difficult. We get numerous C.V.s every day for mechanic and apprentice positions. I'd say the ticket to getting an interview for getting an apprentice position is having a well presented C.V. even if there isn't much content. Don't use silly or large fonts or switch between fonts, don't ramble on etc, a well formatted C.V. is your best bet. Any sloppy C.V.'s, ones with poor spelling, bad grammar etc don't go down well.

When you get to an interview, dress smart. The amount of people coming to interviews lately with a terrible dress sense is phenomenal. I've witnessed a few recently where even one chap turned up in a pair of Canto's and his county colours ffs. A lot of lads aren't wearing ties too which is bad, wear a tie, we had one average fella in and we were stuck to fill a position so he was likely to land the job if he was any way decent and after a bit of deliberation, the reason he didn't get a call back is because he wasn't wearing a tie. You don't need an Armani suit but if you are cash strapped a Pennies suit is a minimum IMO.

Am I hearing you right? There's drought of mechanics within the main dealers, manufacturers are actively encouraging dealers to take on enthusiastic apprentice mechanics and the dealers are turning them away because they're not wearing neck ties.

And your company (presumably a Toyota dealership, judging by your name) were stuck to fill a position and you had a meeting about an enthusiastic, suitable candidate that more or less could have the job, but your team decided he wasn't suitable...

because he didn't wear a neck tie to the interview?

DrFunkatron

If you don't dress appropriately for an interview it gives the impression you're not arsed about getting a job, personally I'd hire the guy who took the time to prepare himself assuming all other boxes are ticked. Like it or not people are judged by appearances as well as what's on the CV.

MKelly202

Augeo wrote: »

Do you have a leaving cert?

I do

MKelly202

mycro2013 wrote: »

I served an apprenticeship back in the day and I'll offer you the following advice.

1. Approach a main dealer (try and stick with the likes of toyota, ford or a prestige manufacturer) and ask for some work over the summer months. When you're in the door have a chat with the workshop supervisor regarding an apprenticeship. A lot of places want to get to know a lad/lady before offering them an apprenticeship. This will also allow you to determine if the trade is for you. I ve seen lads get a trade and after a few months decide it wasnt not for them.

2. Aim to serve your time in the best possible garage which offers you the opportunity to progress and use the most update equipment and work practices. Don't let the hourly rate determine your choice. Apprentice rates are temporary.

Keep knocking on doors I got my apprentice by approaching the company directly it shows that you are taking initiative and being proactive.

Thanks, great advice ill look into doing that

mloc123

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

I'd be aiming towards main dealers if I was looking. There is a drought of good mechanics at the moment and a lot of manufacturers are recommending their dealers to take on apprentices to grow their own future mechanics. An independent is fine but I'd say in 99% of independents it's all about who you know.

You don't need any skills to become an apprentice which makes it both very easy and very difficult. We get numerous C.V.s every day for mechanic and apprentice positions. I'd say the ticket to getting an interview for getting an apprentice position is having a well presented C.V. even if there isn't much content. Don't use silly or large fonts or switch between fonts, don't ramble on etc, a well formatted C.V. is your best bet. Any sloppy C.V.'s, ones with poor spelling, bad grammar etc don't go down well.

When you get to an interview, dress smart. The amount of people coming to interviews lately with a terrible dress sense is phenomenal. I've witnessed a few recently where even one chap turned up in a pair of Canto's and his county colours ffs. A lot of lads aren't wearing ties too which is bad, wear a tie, we had one average fella in and we were stuck to fill a position so he was likely to land the job if he was any way decent and after a bit of deliberation, the reason he didn't get a call back is because he wasn't wearing a tie. You don't need an Armani suit but if you are cash strapped a Pennies suit is a minimum IMO.

This is ridiculous. I understand the guys showing up in a tracksuit making no effort at all, but not offering a guy a job (as a mechanic, not a hedge fund manager) because he didn't wear a tie is madness.

MKelly202

mloc123 wrote: »

This is ridiculous. I understand the guys showing up in a tracksuit making no effort at all, but not offering a guy a job (as a mechanic, not a hedge fund manager) because he didn't wear a tie is madness.

I agree with you there but i understand his point aswell. if i was an employer i wouldnt employ someome who didnt try make themself look half decent.

Toyotafanboi

MKelly202 wrote: »

I agree with you there but i understand his point aswell. if i was an employer i wouldnt employ someome who didnt try make themself look half decent.

This was my point, though I'd like not to derail the OPs thread too much.

Making yourself presentable is important for the sake of first impressions and going to a formal interview, informally dressed gives a certain kind of impression.

Now if he gave a blinder of an interview he probably would have gotten the job tie or no tie, but with the interview panel on the fence over him after a very middle of the road interview, discussion turned to how he presented himself for the interview and it was included as part of the decision making process, which is reasonable.

Your interview is your chance to sell yourself, why would you not go as best turned out as you can possibly be?

JC01

OP have you any experience in mechanics? Very few garages are gonna take on someone without them proving in the interview that they know their way around a toolbox, whether it be from doing simple services, brakes etc on family members cars or messing around on farms etc at home with machines, most lads who get apprenticehips have the bare basics already learned. The fact that you've already interviewed means maybe you need to brush up on technical knowledge before your next one?

MKelly202

JC01 wrote: »

OP have you any experience in mechanics? Very few garages are gonna take on someone without them proving in the interview that they know their way around a toolbox, whether it be from doing simple services, brakes etc on family members cars or messing around on farms etc at home with machines, most lads who get apprenticehips have the bare basics already learned. The fact that you've already interviewed means maybe you need to brush up on technical knowledge before your next one?

I agree with your 100%, And to be honest I have no experience working on a car or in a garage, At the moment im talking to someone about it some work experience for september, hoping it will happen.. I do know the basics of how to do basic servicing,, i do know how an engine works and parts to make it work but I wouldnt go rebuilding an engine for you because simply put i woudlnt have the knowlegde to do so, ... besides not having experience isnt an apprenticeship for people who have 0 experience in the trade and teach someone from the ground up.. its confusing

John_Rambo

DrFunkatron wrote: »

If you don't dress appropriately for an interview it gives the impression you're not arsed about getting a job, personally I'd hire the guy who took the time to prepare himself assuming all other boxes are ticked. Like it or not people are judged by appearances as well as what's on the CV.

Smartly dressed or semi formal is fine. Refusing to give perfectly good candidates a job because they failed to wear a tie is Dumb. It's a car mechanic job, not Wall Street in 1988.

JC01

MKelly202 wrote: »

I agree with your 100%, And to be honest I have no experience working on a car or in a garage, At the moment im talking to someone about it some work experience for september, hoping it will happen.. I do know the basics of how to do basic servicing,, i do know how an engine works and parts to make it work but I wouldnt go rebuilding an engine for you because simply put i woudlnt have the knowlegde to do so, ... besides not having experience isnt an apprenticeship for people who have 0 experience in the trade and teach someone from the ground up.. its confusing

In theory yes but in practice a garage isn't gonna take on somebody who doesn't have the basics because 6/10 applicants will have the basics learned. Your not expected to know how to rebuild an engine or anything that extreme but knowing the theory of how an engine works, difference between petrols/diesels, what a turbo does, how brakes work etc is something you really should be able to talk about in the interview.

If you don't know any of that stuff even watching a few YouTube videos will teach you the theory behind it.

The most important thing a good apprenticeship will teach you is strong diagnostic skills, those are the main difference between fitters, who are a dime a dozen, and quality mechanics who are surprisingly difficult to come across.

Toyotafanboi

I'd disagree a bit. Having an interest in cars and mechanics would a posotive that i would bring to an interview but i wouldnt expect an interviewee to know anything really and some would almost consider it a bad thing.

They don't want to be taking on a lad who'll want to jump straight in at year two knowing it all already and all the bad habits that may go with it, your first year as an apprentice will be 80% cleaning things, 15% fitting tyres and 5% doing runs to the shop and making coffee. The idea of the apprenticeship is to be shown, even down to the smallest details, how to or more importantly why to torque a sump bung correctly and things like that, the basics behind the processes that the qualified techs do.

They want to teach someone how to do things right. They may not want to take a chance on you already potentially having bad habits of poor practises and having to try and work those out of you.

I'd be very hesitant to let on I knew very much really, even if I actually did.

MKelly202

JC01 wrote: »

In theory yes but in practice a garage isn't gonna take on somebody who doesn't have the basics because 6/10 applicants will have the basics learned. Your not expected to know how to rebuild an engine or anything that extreme but knowing the theory of how an engine works, difference between petrols/diesels, what a turbo does, how brakes work etc is something you really should be able to talk about in the interview.

If you don't know any of that stuff even watching a few YouTube videos will teach you the theory behind it.

The most important thing a good apprenticeship will teach you is strong diagnostic skills, those are the main difference between fitters, who are a dime a dozen, and quality mechanics who are surprisingly difficult to come across.

Yeah I understand, I do know the theory behind it, I know how a diesel and petrol engine works, i know how brakes work, diffs, gearboxs, steering, turbos and superchargers work, ECUs, suspension parts and how they work. Just have no practical experience lol... Back to your point is to get some experience in a garage first to be that bit more attractable?

MKelly202

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

I'd disagree a bit. Having an interest in cars and mechanics would a posotive that i would bring to an interview but i wouldnt expect an interviewee to know anything really and some would almost consider it a bad thing.

They don't want to be taking on a lad who'll want to jump straight in at year two knowing it all already and all the bad habits that may go with it, your first year as an apprentice will be 80% cleaning things, 15% fitting tyres and 5% doing runs to the shop and making coffee. The idea of the apprenticeship is to be shown, even down to the smallest details, how to or more importantly why to torque a sump bung correctly and things like that, the basics behind the processes that the qualified techs do.

They want to teach someone how to do things right. They may not want to take a chance on you already potentially having bad habits of poor practises and having to try and work those out of you.

I'd be very hesitant to let on I knew very much really, even if I actually did.

Great point, It really depends on the employer I'm guessing because a few apprenticeships i applied for and didn't get, I had called a couple weeks later after an interview to find out what i could have done better and some said they were looking for a candidate with some experience. Its that or i just didn't do a good interview..

Autochange

Do you know why there is a drought on good mechanics?
Because all of the clever ones have left the trade and moved onto to better things.
As a qualified mechanic you will literally make less money than someone working the till in Lidl. After years of training which must always be updated and thousands spent on tools plus the stress on your body you will still be making below an average wage. Unfortunate but true.
If you want to work on cars keep it as a hobby. If you want a trade become an electrician.

This is coming from a master technician of 2 brands and a qualification as an auto electrician on top now working in mechanical fitout and build making twice the money I could have ever made in the motor trade.
Good luck

John_Rambo

That's insane Autochange and I'm not doubting you for one minute. I'm guessing motor mechanic has to be one of the more complex apprenticeships, suspension, engines (of more than two fuels) gears box, electrics etc... How did this happen? Are we underpaying for car mechanical services in Ireland?

Autochange

John_Rambo wrote: »

That's insane Autochange and I'm not doubting you for one minute. I'm guessing motor mechanic has to be one of the more complex apprenticeships, suspension, engines (of more than two fuels) gears box, electrics etc... How did this happen? Are we underpaying for car mechanical services in Ireland?

Main dealers charge so much by the hour as the overheads are crazy. Plus there are a lot of staff in a dealership who don't bring in any money. Admin etc. Take insurance, rent , training etc etc into the hourly rate charged. Dealerships make about 15% markup on most parts sold with service parts being the bread and butter. If a dealer is charging example 100 euro per hour then the mechanic may make 11 to 15 ph from that. I worked on a site in Dublin recently and the plumbers were charging 31 ph.
It's a different trade I know but the constant buying of new tools and diagnostic equipment plus continous up skilling means a career in the motor trade is not worth it.
I don't think the public are under paying for repairs and services. It's expensive enough especially in main city dealers. But it dosnt filter down to the mechanic.

MKelly202

Autochange wrote: »

Main dealers charge so much by the hour as the overheads are crazy. Plus there are a lot of staff in a dealership who don't bring in any money. Admin etc. Take insurance, rent , training etc etc into the hourly rate charged. Dealerships make about 15% markup on most parts sold with service parts being the bread and butter. If a dealer is charging example 100 euro per hour then the mechanic may make 11 to 15 ph from that. I worked on a site in Dublin recently and the plumbers were charging 31 ph.
It's a different trade I know but the constant buying of new tools and diagnostic equipment plus continous up skilling means a career in the motor trade is not worth it.
I don't think the public are under paying for repairs and services. It's expensive enough especially in main city dealers. But it dosnt filter down to the mechanic.

Have you ever considered starting your own garage?

Autochange

I did play with the idea but decided a clean break from the trade while i was young enough was the best option. Plus i live in a small town with 2 already well established garages so it may not have been the best business wise decision for me.

All of the above i mentioned in my previous posts are just my opinion and you or someone else may see things differently. If you are struggling to find an apprenticeship maybe approach some garages and offer to do 2 weeks or a month unpaid as work experience. It will give you a bit of an insight into what to expect work wise and you can speak to the mechanics and other apprentices working there.

Good luck hope it works out for you