Apprenticeship Central: Candidate Portal
About the Vehicle Repair Industry
The UK vehicle repair industry is responsible for repairing vehicles involved in incidents ranging from minor scuffs and dents to high-impact collisions that require realignment of the vehicles chassis, reinstating it to its pre-accident condition.
The industry’s skills crisis
​
-
The average age of a skilled technician is over 45 and employers are very keen to address that by bringing in young people and training them.
​
-
It does not matter your gender, ethnicity or background; you will be welcome in our inclusive industry because you are the future!
​
-
There is a charity called AutoRaise helping the industry address its skills crisis. Visit www.autoraise.co.uk/inspire for more information on the industry and the roles within it, along with videos and case studies on current serving apprentices.
What does a career in the industry look like?
-
Consistent Work - There will always be cars on the road, they will always require repairing. This makes a career in the industry an extremely attractive place to build your career. And because every accident is different, it will always require human intervention to correct, no robots in our industry!
​
-
Valuable Skills - Being able to repair an accident damaged vehicle is a highly technical skill and qualified technicians are in extreme demand and can receive extremely rewarding earnings as their experience and knowledge starts to build.
​
-
Great Opportunities – These skills mean a diverse range of career opportunities lie ahead. Most vehicle repair businesses are owned by individuals who started their career as a technician so anyone coming into the industry should always see an opportunity to manage or run a vehicle repair business in the future.
​
-
Exciting Career Paths – Insurance companies, vehicle hire companies, accident managers, product manufacturers and suppliers. There is a whole eco-system of this £billion industry that required people who understand how to repair a vehicle safely and professionally.
Technical jobs and apprenticeships in the industry
Vehicle Accident Repair Technician Multi-skilled
Accident Repair (also known as multi-skilled) Technicians repair all elements of a vehicle after it has sustained some type of collision damage. This ranges from minor damage through to heavily impacted types of damage requiring complex and detailed repair or replacement of major structural elements of the vehicle. Typically, they work in a modern, highly technical workshop environment, working on a broad range of vehicles from cars, vans and motorcycles to light commercial vehicles. Multi-Skilled Technicians are able to interpret and work accurately to detailed and complex technical repair instructions and work in a focused, analytical and methodical fashion to get their repairs completed 'right first time'.
Paint Technician
Responsible for the finishing of whole panels, panel sections, wheels, or even a car's entire bodywork, Spray Painters are highly skilled in all aspects of preparation, paint and finishing. They use high-tech paints, lacquers and equipment to perform manufacturer standard work to return a vehicle to the quality of specification it had when it left the factory. Spray Painters can be required to work on a broad range of vehicles from cars, vans and motorcycles to light commercial vehicles. Specialist Paint Technicians act as part of the wider repair team to ensure work is carried out to both standard and timescale required.
Panel Technician
Panel Technicians specialise in repairing or replacing damaged panels. While major damage requires new panels to be fitted, many smaller dents and scratches can be repaired to as good a standard as new by combining the technician's skill with modern equipment and repair techniques. A Panel Technician's duties include working to detailed instructions from a Vehicle Damage Assessor or assessing the damage and making a repair decision themselves, depending on how their bodyshop operates. Specialist Panel Technicians act as part of the wider repair team to ensure work is carried out to standard and in the timescale required.
MET Technician
Mechanical & Electrical Trim (MET) Technicians are responsible for identifying damaged mechanical and electrical components on vehicles and removing and refitting such components before and after the vehicle is repainted / refinished. They use welding or soldering equipment in their repair work and have an extensive knowledge of the complex systems in modern vehicles. They are be responsible for installing new components in situations where repair is not appropriate. When a vehicle is refitted, the MET Technician will also ensure everything is in full and safe working order.
Vehicle Damage Assessor
Methodically and accurately inspect and assess all elements of a motor vehicle that has sustained damage and requires repair. Identify and record damage on a vehicle and determine (using prescribed information from Manufacturers) which parts of the vehicle should be repaired or replaced. A VDA will have an understanding of the manual process of assessing and costing repair of a vehicle, whilst also being able to use the relevant electronic estimating software. Produce accurate & detailed repair specifications to be used to carry out the required repair process. They will have commercial knowledge of their respective workplace and know how to apply this in order to determine a monetary cost and timescale for each repair job.