Motor Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician (Light Vehicle) - Advanced Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship Summary
A motor vehicle technician services and repairs light vehicles such as cars and vans and works either in dealerships that focus on a particular manufacturer, or for an independent garage that deals with many different makes of vehicles. The nature of the work ranges from replacing simple parts through to solving complex faults with the use of diagnostic methods and equipment.
Today’s apprentice has to demonstrate expertise in the technical side of their role. They must have strong problem-solving skills and a good grasp of the theoretical and practical aspects of a vehicle’s systems. They must be able to work independently but also operate as an effective team member, understand how their workshop and the dealership/garage functions from a commercial perspective, have good customer handling skills and identify ways in which they can work more efficiently.
Apprenticeship standard dates
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Anytime
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Employer's Premises
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Next steps
As an Employer
If you would like to offer this as an apprenticeship vacancy within your organisation, enrol one of your existing employees on this apprenticeship or simply find out more about supporting an apprenticeship within your organisation, please complete the Enquire Now form above and a member of our Business Development Team will be in touch within 2 working days to advise you on next steps.
As an Apprentice
If you are interested in securing an apprenticeship as a Motor Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician, please visit our Vacancies page to check for any suitable roles.
If there are currently no roles available, please submit an enquiry form using the Enquire Now button above to register your interest. We will use this information to let you know when a suitable vacancy becomes available and also to advise you of any courses we offer that might advance your career goals in the meantime.
Key information
Entry Requirements
We will undertake an assessment and skills scan to make sure that this qualification is suitable for you. It is preferable to have English and Maths GCSE Grade 4/C or above.
Please note: Where wearing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is a mandatory requirement of the course, it is the responsibility of the learner to ensure that they are able to wear such equipment. Further information can be obtained at the IAG session which all applicants are invited to or by calling Course Enquiries on 01253 504343.
How will the Apprenticeship be funded?
As the employer
How your apprenticeship is funded will depend on whether or not you pay the Apprenticeship Levy. If you do pay the Levy, your apprenticeship will be funded out of this, provided you have sufficient monies available. If you do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy, 95% of the apprenticeship will be funded by the Government, with the remaining 5% being funded by you. There may also be some further incentives offered by the Government which we will be able to advise you of when setting up your apprenticeship. Either way, B&FC's Business Development Team will be on hand to help you navigate the funding arrangements and support you through this process.
As the apprentice
One of the benefits of an apprenticeship is that, as the apprentice, you are not required to fund your training. You will also receive a wage for the work that you do with minimum hourly rates set by the Government. Your employer can choose to pay you more than the minimum wage, but they cannot pay you less. For details of current minimum wage rates for apprentices, please visit the Government website.
What will my Apprentice learn?
Knowledge
By the end of their apprenticeship, your apprentice should understand:
- How vehicle service and repair is impacted by legislative, regulatory and ethical requirements, including health and safety law and environmental procedures.
- The structure of the industry and how the business works from an operational perspective, business targets, the systems and processes that make up the efficient running of a business.
- How to develop positive working relationships and communicate effectively and how to carry out self-evaluation and improve own performance.
- The procedures for the maintenance of tools and the workshop.
- Routine servicing and inspection procedures.
- Steering and suspension geometries; electrical circuit requirements and calculations.
- Construction and operation of vehicle components and systems.
- Common fault types, causes and effects of different types of faults. How to diagnose faults using suitable fault finding strategies.
- The implications and legal requirements of fitting accessories and carrying out vehicle modifications.
- Construction and operation of advanced electrical, braking and suspension systems, engine and transmission systems and engine and gear calculations.
- Vehicle emissions and legal requirements. Zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate 2035.
- Alternative fuels and hybrid and electric systems.
Skills
Your apprentice should be able to:
- Contribute to the maintenance of a safe and efficient workshop. Segregate waste for disposal or recycling. Comply with industry environmental legislation.
- Demonstrate due regard for own safety and that of others in the workshop and minimise risk of injury and vehicle damage.
- Carry out fundamental tasks associated with removal and replacement procedures on a vehicle.
- Obtain diagnostic and repair information using a range of diagnostic equipment following recognised diagnostic procedures.
- Interpret diagnostic information and use electrical wiring diagrams to determine system serviceability.
- Report faults using company procedures and recommend suitable further actions.
- Follow recognised repair procedures to complete a wide range of repairs including those which involve complex procedures, or in depth knowledge and be able to test the function of repaired and fitted components.
- Complete a range of services and inspect and prepare a vehicle to the required quality standard for handover to the customer.
Behaviours
Your apprentice should be able to:
- Adopt a good health and safety first mentality as standard practice.
- Take a customer-first approach when dealing with vehicle owners and other clients
- Ensure the quality is at the forefront of working practices in every activity undertaken in the vehicle service and maintenance process.
- Demonstrate a strong positive work ethic which shows application, attention to detail and motivation.
- Work positively as part of a team and communicate effectively with both the team and external customers.
Expert Tutors
All tutors involved in the delivery of courses and apprenticeships within the College are approved to teach the subjects and modules they deliver.
Our recruitment process ensures that tutors delivering a given programme are suitably qualified and, where appropriate, possess relevant technical and industrial experience and a familiarity with professional practice. This is especially important for apprenticeships where off-the-job training needs to align with apprentices' on-the-job experience.
How will the Apprenticeship be delivered?
The apprenticeship will typically be delivered over a 24-month period with additional time required to prepare for the End Point Assessment. Apprentices' time will typically be split 80:20 throughout the apprenticeship programme with four days a week spent at the employer premises learning on the job and one day a week spent off-site, undertaking classroom-based and workshop-based training at B&FC.
What support will I get from B&FC?
As the employer
Each employer is supported by an experienced member of our Business Development Team to set up their apprenticeship. For those employers who are completely new to the apprenticeship process, the Team will support them with all the necessary paperwork and administration to get their apprenticeship programme up and running as quickly and efficiently as possible. For existing employers, their dedicated Client Services Manager will be an ongoing point of contact for all their apprenticeship queries, however big or small.
We can also help employers who are looking to recruit new apprentices by advertising their vacancy, finding suitable applicants and supporting them with the interview and selection process. Once an apprentice is onboard, our Curriculum Tutors and Apprenticeship Trainers and Skills Coaches also step in to support the employer-apprentice relationship and ensure the apprentice is on track to succeed.
As the apprentice
In the first instance, we aim to give potential apprentices all the support they need to find a suitable apprenticeship. That can mean working with them prior to an application to improve their CV, hone their interview skills and advise them of any additional training that may help them secure an apprenticeship vacancy.
Once they start their apprenticeship, we continue to support them with their off-site training and with regular meetings with our Apprenticeship Trainers and Skills Coaches to ensure they are progressing and acquiring all the knowledge, skills and behaviours that will ensure they complete their apprenticeship successfully.
How will the Apprenticeship be assessed?
What is an end-point assessment and why it happens
An EPA is an assessment at the end of the apprenticeship. The EPA is the apprentice's opportunity to show an independent assessor how well they can carry out the occupation they have been trained for. Apprentices need to have achieved an F-gas certificate that meets the EU's F-gas regulation and completed a logbook of their training during the last eight months of their apprenticeship which showcases all the work they have carried out prior to their EPA.
The overall grades available for this apprenticeship are:
- fail
- pass
- distinction
When the apprentice passes the EPA, they will be awarded their apprenticeship certificate.
Assessment methods
The EPA comprises three distinct components:
Professional discussion
The apprentice will have an interview with an independent assessor. During this interview, the assessor will ask the apprentice at least six questions, which cover different aspects of their role with the aim of assessing whether the apprentice has satisfactorily acquired all the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the occupational standard. The logbook the apprentice has compiled will enable them to answer these questions effectively.
Online knowledge test
This will test the apprentice's understanding of key aspects of their role and the knowledge require to carry out their daily tasks safely and to the highest industry standards.
Skills test
The apprentice will be required to carry out a number of practice tasks that will enable the apprentice to demonstrate their skills in particular aspects of vehicle service and maintenance process so that the assessor can assess their competency.