About apprenticeships in the automotive industry

This week is National Apprentice Week, so Swansway Motor Group are shedding a light on what an apprenticeship in the Automotive Industry looks like.

Each day this week, the group will be sharing success stories from Swansway apprentices, past and present, across their LinkedIn and Facebook Careers pages. As well as supplying information on the apprenticeship opportunities available to young people interested in a career in the automotive industry.

The first thing to know about automotive apprenticeships is that they’re not limited to technical roles. Automotive apprenticeships are available for a variety of skills and interests, be this creative, technical, mathematical, or other.

Swansway offers six different apprenticeships: vehicle technician, digital marketing, accounts, service advisor, parts advisor, and sales. It is clear then, that automotive apprenticeships offer something for everyone.

One apprenticeship offering variety is the digital marketing apprenticeship. Lucas Rydings is a digital marketing apprentice with Escalla who works within Swansway’s group marketing team.

This sees him spend five weeks developing and practising skills at Swansway before one week at Escalla where he shares his learnings with other apprentices and produces reflective reports.

Reflecting on his first 4 months as an automotive apprentice, Lucas said: “It’s been interesting to see the different roles that make up digital marketing. Seeing what each role involves Is helping me to make decisions about my career going forward.”

Digital marketing apprenticeships are something that Swansway values greatly. Many team members at Swansway have benefited from the digital marketing apprenticeship. Whether they have progressed into digital merchandiser roles, places within their marketing team, or gone on to achieve marketing roles elsewhere, their apprenticeships helped them to develop a well-rounded knowledge of digital marketing, preparing them well for a career in the marketing sector.

With any apprenticeship comes the opportunity to earn whilst you learn. Young people can increase their knowledge, while being paid for it, an excellent incentive for those who struggle in traditional educational settings.

Apprenticeships also offer an opportunity to practice these learnings, as Carley Farrington, senior recruitment advisor at Swansway, explains: “Apprenticeships prepare young people for work exceptionally. Placing someone into a real working environment where they develop career skills in real working scenarios is something that cannot be replicated.”

On top of a salary and real-world experience, there are less well-known benefits to being an apprentice too. Including the Totum card which provides discounts on fashion, eating out, cinema tickets and more. This card entitles apprentices to discounts on hundreds of brands and is specific to people studying recognised apprenticeship qualifications.

These recognised qualifications are where automotive apprenticeships come into their own, as qualifications are recognised, and often administered, by major automotive brands such as JLR and the VAG Group. The apprentice qualification forms the first stepping stone on a clearly mapped progression for automotive apprentices who often progress forwards in their careers through the completion of accreditations from manufacturers.

In addition to the regular apprenticeship learning, Swansway apprentices have access to Swansway’s in-house training team who help employees to develop their professional skills across several areas of the business.

The opportunities for progression in the automotive industry are seemingly endless. Swansway recently promoted Sam Booth to the head of business role at Crewe SEAT, in 2004 Sam began his journey as an 18-year-old apprentice vehicle technician.

David Smyth, Swansway Motor Group director explained that: “Swansway prides itself on our professional development and helping our employees to maximise their careers. Sam is one example of many who have taken this opportunity and run with it, often with the starting point of an apprenticeship.”

If you’re interested in an apprenticeship in the automotive industry visit the Swansway website for more information.