Meet Elsa and learn about life as an apprentice mechanic for the North West Ambulance Service. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
Elsa
My name's Elsa, I'm 18 and I'm an apprentice mechanic for the ambulance service. In our fleet of Cumbria, we have 91 ambulances that we look after. When we get an ambulance in for a service, we have to check that they are perfect to go out on the road and respond to any emergencies. We check the tyres, the brakes, steering, because they're going above the speed limit, so they need to be extra safe on the roads. We've got to take both the wheels off to be able to have a look at the brake pads and check that everything behind it is intact and working. It's not just the mechanical side. We're responsible for making the blue lights work, which goes on the top sides of the ambulance. As an apprentice, I'm not working on my own. I've got a mentor, who checks over everything.
[Ian, Elsa's mentor] "That's it, so the top one in."
Elsa
It's definitely a good way to learn, because it's reassuring to know that someone's checking over your work.
Ian
Elsa's absolutely fantastic to work with. She's a great part of the team. She comes in on time. She works very hard and she gets on with everybody like a house on fire. I couldn't ask for any more.
Elsa
The thing which has inspired me to become a mechanic is mainly my dad. He was always in the garage tinkering about with cars and basically just let me help him. I definitely think anyone could be a mechanic, whether you're a boy, girl. It's for anyone, as long as you've got the interest there.
I've learnt a lot of skills since I've been here. I'm hoping that my next steps after the apprenticeship would be having a job here as a fully qualified mechanic and fixing more ambulances. The most satisfying thing about my job is, if an ambulance comes in with a fault and you've fixed it, it's satisfying to know that that ambulance has potentially gone out and saved someone's life.
I definitely think anyone could be a mechanic, whether you're a boy or girl. It's for anyone, as long as you've got the interest.
- Elsa was inspired to become a mechanic by her dad, who let her help him work on cars
- As an apprentice mechanic for the North West Ambulance Service in Cumbria, she helps to look after a fleet of 91 ambulances. As they need to go above the speed limit to respond to emergencies, they need to be extra-safe, so she has to check the tyres, the brakes and steering
- As an apprentice, Elsa works with the help of a mentor, who checks over her work
- After her apprenticeship, she hopes to secure a position with the ambulance service as a fully-trained mechanic
- Elsa finds it satisfying to fix a fault on an ambulance so it can go back out and help save lives.
If you're interested in a role like Elsa's, you can look out for apprenticeship opportunities with your local ambulance service. Elsa is currently an apprentice, so is still training. Once she finishes, she can qualify as a fully trained mechanic.
What to expect if you want to be a mechanic
- Mechanic average salary: £18,000 to £35,000 per year
- Mechanic typical working hours: 38 to 45 hours per week
What qualifications do you need to be a mechanic?
You could get into this role via a college course, or an advanced apprenticeship. College courses include a Level 2 Diploma in Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Competence, a Level 3 Diploma in Vehicle Technology or a T-level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing (England-only, from Sept 2022).
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service, GOV.UK
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed and the GOV.UK website for more on T-levels.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
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