what to do!!

[Lawnmowerboy]

so the end of my school life is approaching and ive gotta fill out my college app by friday

the more i think about it im leaning towards l2 cit&guilds engineering and fabrication which is easier for me to gat onto and a bit more skill required than motor vehicle or i can go a vehicle repair course like panel refinishing??
any thoughts/views greatly appreciated

will

 

[tigler]

My advice would be to avoid anything to do with the motor trade, especially car body repair !
There is a massive shortage of skilled engineers in this country so go for that. Civil Engineering is a very good career, and something that will be in great demand in the future.

 

[Wedg1e]

My advice would be to avoid anything to do with the motor trade, especially car body repair !
There is a massive shortage of skilled engineers in this country so go for that. Civil Engineering is a very good career, and something that will be in great demand in the future.

I'll second that. The motor trade seems to be riddled with muppets and monkeys, skilled in bodging and shrugging shoulders but not much else. I did C&G motor vehicle repairs because (without trumpet-blowing) it was a way to quickly get some qualifications - I'd been working on cars with my dad since I was knee-high but my parents talked me out of being a mechanic when I left school... and this was the late '70s.
The C&G was a modular course so you could pick and choose which bits to do each term. There was me and three other 'mature' students (I was 27 at the time), the rest were day-release lads from local main dealers and a couple of young offender types. Every term when the exam results were posted it was me and the other oldies, doing the course because we wanted to, who had strings of Distinctions. The day-release guys who thought it was all about turbos, stereos and bling (and a day off work) consistently posted Ds, Es and Fails. I wouldn't want any of them anywhere near my car. I still see one of them: he's a 'technician' at the local Vauxhall dealers, but that's as far as he's got in the intervening 20 years.
My bro and two mates work in Civil Engineering and apart from the guy I know who spends his days doing replacement hips, have the most consistent employment and the highest salaries.

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

I completed my apprenticeship as a motorcycle technician (modern name for mechanic) and a few jobs later found myself unintentionally falling into the engineering field. Granted, some of my mechanical skills allowed me a foot into the engineering trade, but I decided to stay here as the money in the motor trade was crap in comparison. Im very happy where I am now.

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

right iv gone for the engineering!! thanks a lot for the advice guys!!!
even the l/m/k ect reg corsas and escorts we have in the workshop there cos iv been doing a 1 day a week thing at the college

its not mechanics any more its just part changers the skill dissapeared long a go sadly
that s why im so interesterd in all em old tractors/machines!

 

[metalspanner]

right iv gone for the engineering!! thanks a lot for the advice guys!!!
even the l/m/k ect reg corsas and escorts we have in the workshop there cos iv been doing a 1 day a week thing at the college

its not mechanics any more its just part changers the skill dissapeared long a go sadly
that s why im so interesterd in all em old tractors/machines!

Why not do Ag engineering, there is a skills crunch around the corner, as there are not enough interested people going through the ranks, there are plenty of oppourtunities, it is always a key trade for Voluntary Service Overseas (brilliant on a cv) always on the top tier of required trades for visa entry to OZ.
As for the skill that went with the introduction of OBD, common rail diesels, and SOS commands back to base, now the machine sends a message to the dealership that it is breaking down!!!!
Your average family hatchback has the computer power that nasa had to send apollo to the moon!
Good luck whatever avenue you travel down, for as long as something is held together by at least one nut and bolt we will always need some one on the spanners..
PS, computers are only as good as the person telling them what to do.

 

[Ducati]

right iv gone for the engineering!! thanks a lot for the advice guys!!!
even the l/m/k ect reg corsas and escorts we have in the workshop there cos iv been doing a 1 day a week thing at the college

its not mechanics any more its just part changers the skill dissapeared long a go sadly
that s why im so interesterd in all em old tractors/machines!

There are still, and always be, good skilled mechanics in the motor trade, however it's the part swappers who give everyone a bad name.

When you think about it, much the same applies to many trades.

To make good to serious money in the motor trade these days you have to go down the diagnostics route.

Not the swap things till the cows come home type, or the " well the computer says nothing's wrong " type.

The seat of your pants type where a thorough understanding of all the components, how they work and how they interact.

Problem being it takes longer to attain these skills than the average modern three year apprenticeship.

Once up to speed though, the repeat work, at your prices, especially from main dealers, is quite a nice little earner.

Helps you get to retire at 58

Best thing I was taught was never to be afraid to ask or say you don't understand.

One thing to remember, if you get to do a job you enjoy and look forward to doing you can't go far wrong.

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

ag engineering is a thing ould love to get into but sadly theres ni colleges round here that offers the course theres one just across the boarder in so suffolk (farmer country) that does a ag engineering course

it would be easier for me to go down the engineering route because for one i already have a p/t job in a metalwork place and hes said he'd give me an apprenticeship

 

[tigler]

Another thing against choosing the motor trade is the difficulty in predicting it's long term future ! Who knows what the future of the car is ? For a person as young as a school leaver that is an important issue.
If I were to have this choice I would go the civil engineering route, UK infrastructure is going to have a massive development in the longterm future and the need for skilled Civs is strong. Then there is the prospect for overseas contracts, a massive opportunity.

 

[J_K]

I Did an ND in Ag Engineering.
And apart from the welding it taught me (mig,arc,gas) and some of the higher stuff like the maths and marketing modules, I don't use a damn thing of it and apart from a 3 year stink as internal sales at Vapormatic, I haven't ever been an ag engineer or wanted a job in that field (see what I did there)..
I soon learned that Ag Engineering is a cold, thankless task.
Stomping about in my fields and s***y farm yards isn't a nice place to be this time of year.
I really wish I'd done fabrication. I love it.
But that's just me.

 

[nodeward]

unfortunately as most have said there is very little 'engineering' in the motor trade any more it is simply a case of swapping out old components for new ones nothing is ever fixed any more as it is not cost effective and most technichians no longer have the skills to do it, for example my younger brother works for a bmw dealership and recently had to bring my mums car over to me to weld up the exhaust as they dont have a welder in the workshop
mechanical engineering (just so happens this is what i do) is, as people say lacking decent skilled people, there are always people looking to work in the industry but anyone with any sort of real apptitude for the work will always go far, its easy to go into design, quality, safety and all sorts of other things if or when you get bored with being on the tools. for example i have only been out of my apprenticeship just over 18 months and im still being sent to college and all sorts of courses that range from 3d modeling and design to risk and coshh assesments

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

thats my favourite rocking around farmyards playing with all manner of machinery

interesting that, Node
gives you a bit of an insight as to how un- mechanical cars now are these days

 

[tigler]

The issue with the automotive trade is that cars are not intended to be repaired as the labour costs make it uneconomic. So, the manufacturer strives to make a car survive the warranty period, after that they are not interested, they just want people to buy new ones.
Therefore, garage "mechanics", or "techs" as they are now referred to just do not have the skills to dismantle and repair.
Consequently whenever someone attempts to actually repair something on a car they encounter the problem that is lack of parts !
Recently the starter motor on my long suffering Xantia failed but being stubborn I resisted the easiest route of an exchange starter and decided to repair it. People I asked about parts looked at me as though I'd gone mad ! However, it was only the brush pack that had worn out, the rest of the motor was surprisingly good considering it's 12 years old ! I found a really good auto electrics parts supplier and sourced the correct brush pack and it works like new ! Parts were only £8.00 but had I taken my time into account at garage rates it would indeed not have been viable.
Similar thing with an electronic relay that controls the headlamp washers, it was faulty so the washers weren't working. Dealer only part at £65 !!!! I was told it was impossible to repair them as they were sealed, blah, blah. Pulled it, pried the cover off after cutting the sealant with a dremel, looked fine superficially, no burnt parts etc. Under a magnifying glass all became obvious, the soldered joints on all but one of the base pins had fractured, resoldered them, good as new ! But, it took about an hour, so at dealer labour rates, not viable.
Modern cars just become more and more difficult to repair economically, with can bus and ECU's for everything, they can be written off by a complex fault in just a few years.

Ironically, engines are now extremely durable if serviced properly.

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

only thing that is these days!!!
one of my dads mates is a cabbie and he's got a volks with a 2l diesel on 367,000 miles its had 6 monthly oil and filter changes and with the best oil he can find it should last a few more years

 

[tigler]

Should be nicknamed the Enterprise ! My old Xantia is on 188,000 and change so has some catching up to do !
Trucks routinely do 500,000 and I've known them with a million miles !! But they operate under almost ideal conditions and most have servicing as regular as clockwork.

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

yeah , theres a big blue peterbilt that comes to all the local tractor shows thats on nigh on 4million

 

[metalspanner]

I Did an ND in Ag Engineering.
And apart from the welding it taught me (mig,arc,gas) and some of the higher stuff like the maths and marketing modules, I don't use a damn thing of it and apart from a 3 year stink as internal sales at Vapormatic, I haven't ever been an ag engineer or wanted a job in that field (see what I did there)..
I soon learned that Ag Engineering is a cold, thankless task.
Stomping about in my fields and s***y farm yards isn't a nice place to be this time of year.
I really wish I'd done fabrication. I love it.
But that's just me.

Not an old Bictonian are you? I did the ANCA with c&g parts 1 and 2.
To be quite honest if farming isn't in your blood then Ag Engineering is as you describe, being up the back end of a combine sorting out straw walkers or replacing bearings in searing temps, or replacing tractor clutches in the middle of muddy fields is not for everyone.
And dont even get me going on puncture repairs, but who wants a 9-5 in an air conditioned office trudging along with the rest of the ants to their desks.

 

[snowcat]

ag engineering is a thing ould love to get into but sadly theres ni colleges round here that offers the course theres one just across the boarder in so suffolk (farmer country) that does a ag engineering course

it would be easier for me to go down the engineering route because for one i already have a p/t job in a metalwork place and hes said he'd give me an apprenticeship

Does Writtle not still do AG/ENG courses then? Although Harper Adams is a far better collage, Good HND students are still sort after by company's such as JCB, offering opportunity's in design, R&D and product support....

IF you wished to get into the nuts and bolts spanner side, an apprenticeship with someone like Ernest Doe would be a decent start, .. although like everything computer literacy is become more vital in machine fixes than waving a large spanner about...

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

i can fire one up and do some basic stuff with it if thats what you mean
i would love to do something like that at does, my grandad worked there for about 15 years