paint spray apprenticeship?

Post Wed Oct 08, 2008 2:59 pm

hi im wondering if any1 has done an apprenticeship on bodyshop in or around the eseex area and if so could give me some info on how i could get 1 myself?

Post Wed Oct 08, 2008 5:09 pm

would have thought the local CFE (College of Further Education) would be a good place to start, if not Job Centre?

mrlee

Post Wed Oct 08, 2008 5:12 pm

I would get in contact with the Colchester institute I did a few night classes there many years ago, Was a good place then

They advertise apprenticeships http://www.colchester.ac.uk/Courses/App ... ehicle.htm

Post Wed Oct 08, 2008 5:15 pm

Probably a bit late in the year to be starting though, most courses would have started back in September

Post Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:59 pm

Before you go into anything like this, make sure that there is an opportunity for you to find work. I went through 2 years of college and am a qualified vehicle refinisher, but can't find work with any company that's worth working for.

Most Manufacturers/repair companies will require employees to be trained by them, so find out what the age limit is for getting onto one of those apprenticeships, as i found out most are 17, meaning you could go through 2years of your life, and find at the end of it you can't find work.

You're probably thinking there's loads of demand for bodyshops, yes there is, but big companies don't take on newbies very often, and there is so much competition between the smaller garages that most small garages won't be able to afford to pay you proper wages.

I worked for near enough 6months on pittance to get experience, but still nobody was willing to take me on (and i'm a damn hard worker).

Also the influx of cheaper labour from abroad has more or less killed this industry....why would people pay us newbies a proper wage when they can get people who've been in this industry for 20 years half the amount and have a very happy worker.

Seriously go out to ALL the bodyshops/manufacturers and speak to them before you go through with any decision like this.

At the time i did my course it was a choice between bodywork and mechanicals, and i did bodywork as I enjoyed it more, and i'd seen a never ending market there, but unfortunately reality is very different.