Careers Questions

Frequently asked careers questions

It is impossible to predict every type of enquiry, but we’ve listed a few common ones here with answers which should be helpful, if you'd like further assistance, please visit our careers page.

I would like to be a mechanic.

This is usually referred to as a technician these days – because of the importance of technology and technical work (rather than simply mechanical) in maintaining and repairing vehicles. A lot of people only think of this occupation when it comes to the motor industry – what about other hands-on roles like body repair, fitting and refinishing, or office and showroom-based jobs too?

I would like to be a car designer/motor engineer.

Design and engineering roles (as well as other jobs connected with motor manufacturing) are not part of the retail motor industry. However other organisations can advise further – especially:

Automotive Academy
SEMTA

What qualifications do I need to do?

This depends on the type of job you want, you need to decide on this first. Between the ages of 16 and 19 you can get your training costs paid for in England on an apprenticeship, which is available for many disciplines including maintenance and repair, fast fit and body repair technicians.

You may wish to stay on at school with a view to developing skills for specialised areas such as business studies, leading to management perhaps or marketing, which you could also study at university.

The industry needs people across a huge range of functions.

What is an apprenticeship and how do I get on it? Am I too old?

An apprenticeship means you study at a college one to two days a week, towards a ‘technical certificate’ while working towards an NVQ or SVQ, which proves that you can apply these skills in the workplace (where you spend the rest of your time on placement with an employer).

An apprenticeship is fully funded up to the age of 19. Between the ages of 19-24 it may be partially funded (though this varies in some areas of England).

Beyond 24 there is no funding for training or apprenticeships in the motor industry in England.

You can also do apprenticeships in non-technical areas like sales.

You can get on an apprenticeship by identifying a local college or other training provider who can pair you with an employer looking for apprentices in the area. Many manufacturers also run their own apprenticeship programmes, details of these can usually be found on their websites.

Although minimum qualifications aren’t always stipulated, because of the technical complexity of modern vehicles, Maths, English and Science at GCSE D-F or the equivalent are desirable.

Scottish Standard Grades are a recommended minimum.

What sort of jobs are there in the motor industry?

You can break down the parts of the retail motor industry six ways:

Maintenance, repair and fast-fit
Vehicle sales
Vehicle parts
Body repair and refinishing
Rental and leasing
Roadside assistance

There are technical roles for people who like to use their hands and work with technology and also office-based roles throughout as people are needed in finance, marketing, sales, customer service and administration.


I’ve worked in another industry for a long time. Are there opportunities for me?

Yes. Many skills needed in the motor industry are transferable, like management skills, customer service skills, IT skills and so on. Even technical skills can be of great use, for example those gained in the aviation industry can be adapted by re-training. Employers may need convincing so be prepared to help them understand exactly how your skills can be of use to them

I thought there were only jobs for men in the motor industry

This is not the case at all, although at present there are certainly more men than women employed. There is huge demand for more females in the workforce and it makes sense, when you realise that the majority of private car buyers are in fact women. Many businesses are actively looking to recruit more women.

Are there jobs for graduates?

Yes, the motor industry needs graduates and experienced people to manage the industry and develop ideas which can take businesses forward.

Most opportunities are in manufacturing and head office roles with manufacturers – SEMTA and Automotive Academy will be able to advise further on these.