Hypothetical question to garage/workshop owners.

[earthman]

Would you be willing to employ say a 50 year old who has a solid employment history and references but doesn't actually have any City and Guilds/NVQ's in mechanics/engineering but has years of experience doing such like in their own time? Someone who certainly knows their way around a vehicle, workshop tools and machinery shall we say but in no way an 'expert' in any one aspect/field.

I'm guessing that say the managers of the big main dealers, Ford/Vauxhall etc, their hands maybe tied, even if they wanted to employ such a person, it wouldn't be possible due to head office rules? So this question is aimed at the smaller independent businesses really.

It seems to me that most youngsters are not interested in these jobs period so will attitudes have to change when it comes to finding/replacing staff in the future??

 

[hotponyshoes]

I don't know if insurance will be an issue in the smaller places? Do they have to employ "qualified" staff to do work on customer vehicles for liability cover?

 

[earthman]

I don't know if insurance will be an issue in the smaller places? Do they have to employ "qualified" staff to do work on customer vehicles for liability cover?

Good question.

 

[gaz1]

reads to me that your pulling yourself down with your post

not hyperthetical

I can repair cars know my way around tools and machinery im not an expert but covered many a car job of my own

the mechanic in question has also found out im pretty good at shaping metal

i fix cars all mechanic does is check the main part of the work, i get the rubbish jobs which i dont mind

so what am i paid, im just a mechanic labourer termed job.

I will never see mechanic rates of pay as no qualifications for it

 

[8ob]

Yes please ! when can you start?

On a serious note @earthman guys with sound mechanical nouse and good work ethics are in huge demand in smaller places like ours. Between vehicle maintenance and plant/machinery repairs I could keep someone like you busy forever. The qualifications mean didly squat to me, experience trounces that, if i were you I would have a look at businesses that have small fleets and plant/machinery.

Bob

 

[Arnie Macgyver]

I have links to a local family run garage (5 or 6 mechanics) who have just taken on a guy in his sixties - 62, I think. The funny thing is while he is competent (but without official qualifications) he doesn't have a UK driving licence! He's taking his test here soon as his European licence is no longer valid here. The garage find it very hard to find decent, young mechanics and are always willing to give anyone a go and the right personality/experience is better than any paperwork.

 

[stuvy]

We have a chap who was an estate agent for 20 years and now works on the historic race cars in our team. He doesn’t know one end of a spanner from the other but is keen and has real passion

He did well with property and can afford to be on, in my opinion an insult of a wage but he has a job working on race cars from the 50’s with real heritage.

The only downer for him is he doesn’t have the experience of knowing how tight a bolt has to be so we have to check his work and the apprentice too. Saying that we have a god awful useless girl that says she’s checked tappets and plugs etc but is too lazy to do it properly

 

[TigTigger]

Whilst there is nothing wrong with being self taught, it may be in ways that don't comply with standard practice and methodology. Not sure I would want someone with no formal training servicing the braking system on my car. Like many of us old wrinklies on here I used to do my own car servicing many years ago, but that was out of necessity and I could satisfy myself that I had done an acceptable job. Not sure if there is any requirement for a recognised qualification for car mechanics / technicians in the same way that there is for electricians and plumbers. Perhaps there should be as bad practice could prove equally as dangerous.

 

[gaz1]

Yes please ! when can you start?

On a serious not @earthman guys with sound mechanical nouse and good work ethics are in huge demand in smaller places like ours. Between vehicle maintenance and plant/machinery repairs I could keep someone like you busy forever. The qualifications mean didly squat to me, experience trounces that, if i were you I would have a look at businesses that have small fleets and plant/machinery.

Bob

either that or move down near you

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Yes please ! when can you start?

On a serious not @earthman guys with sound mechanical nouse and good work ethics are in huge demand in smaller places like ours. Between vehicle maintenance and plant/machinery repairs I could keep someone like you busy forever. The qualifications mean didly squat to me, experience trounces that, if i were you I would have a look at businesses that have small fleets and plant/machinery.

Bob

Shame more don't have that Outlook.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Mr C is my helper...he does a day a week with me on projects and car fixing. He is self employed...I got him in to help with my Figaro painting the car....but now it's a regular thing.

He's in his 60s...so much knowledge and experience.

He's always telling me "you'll break it if you do it like that" ...usually he's right.

Tightened a power steering connector by using adjustable spanners as a brace...I wouldn't have thought of that!

 

[premmington]

I own a garage - qualifications mean nothing - experience means allot more.

For an older person - MOT testing suits them down to the ground.

I am 53 - I would not be going into the trade at my age - it is young mans game.

 

[Wallace]

Yes please ! when can you start?

What part of Moscow do I need to be in Monday morning?

 

[maz0]

Yes, would hire with a probation period agreed. Qualifications are the biggest con of our generation. Just shows someone passed a memory test to relay answers from a book into an exam. It doesn’t give any indication of their problem solving skills or ability to adjust and learn new skills in an adapting industry.

 

[8ob]

Yes, would hire with a probation period agreed. Qualifications are the biggest con of our generation. Just shows someone passed a memory test to relay answers from a book into an exam. It doesn’t give any indication of their problem solving skills or ability to adjust and learn new skills in an adapting industry.

I agree, it normally takes about ten minutes There is a certain look to a decent fitters toolkit and an air of confidence in the way they go about a task that a chancer cant replicate.

Bob

 

[stuvy]

I e of the first things my boss did was look through my tool box

The one that made me laugh was the exhaust rubber pliers, he said what’s wrong with a screwdriver? I said Iv lost count of the time Iv either stabbed myself or ripped my thumb nail in half trying to squeeze it on

 

[Parm]

Good question, one which we experience regularly

You have to satisfy yourself that the person is competent

Competency is a combination of education qualification and experience

The weight applied to each one is relative to each unique situation

We all know that there are competent persons whom have never read a book

We also know that there are incompetent persons who have read all the books !!

It’s a judgement call you have to make. With an insurance policy of a probationary period

 

[premmington]

I agree, it normally takes about ten minutes There is a certain look to a decent fitters toolkit and an air of confidence in the way they go about a task that a chancer cant replicate.

Bob

Never thought about this - but there is a "certain look to a decent fitters toolbox" - you are so right Bob...

 

[earthman]

Many thanks for all the feedback chaps, it's good to hear that it is actually possible that some garages/workshops would take on an older person without having such qualifications.

When I were at school, the last couple of years or so I had a choice, study in either car mechanics or building studies, spending a day a week at a college, same day but different colleges so it were impossible for me to pick both, even though I were interested in cars and bikes I picked building studies, thinking that it maybe more interesting in the long term due to having 5 different elements shall we say. I kind of focused on carpentry, got an O level in that, remember going for an interview at Laing builders, YTS at the time, £25 a week, got offered a job in a chandelier/lighting place the following day, wages were £100 a week,....I took that in the end and not just because of the money but I couldn't be sure that working with wood were what I actually wanted to do for the next 49 years.

All these years later, I've spent far more time with metal shall we say, if only I'd have known that back then,....I'm sure that many other people could say similar hey, that's life I suppose.

 

[gaz1]

I can assure you that picking the yts was the wrong way to go as ive found out

the paperwork was worth nothing in years to come I ended up being a teacher for the other students there old enough to use the big power machines that id used for years

I got thrown off the yts for 2 reasons

1 i didnt start it the other i kinda done everything nothing left on the whole building side of it

I took one look at paperwork and told em not worth wiping ones .... with it and meant it I tore it up and binned it within the yts office