Automotive and Vehicle Body Repair

Vocational

AuTOmotive and vehicLE Body repair

Entering a career in mechanics or vehicle repair means guaranteeing a future of steady work. Slumps in the economy can affect people buying new cars, but vehicles will always require maintenance and repair. If you enjoy meeting different people every day, being ‘hands-on’, working with cutting edge technology, or have a creative eye or a love of restoration – then a career working with any vehicle is waiting for you.

The Automotive Academy department at Pontardawe College boasts a prestigious state-of-the-art Motor Vehicle Academy, sponsored and promoted by Snap-On Tools, the Rolls Royce of tools.

The Motor Vehicle department has grown in 2022 with the eagerly awaited delivery of a dedicated electric vehicle electric rig and a Peugeot 208 vehicle to support the learning and training opportunities for new electric vehicle technologies. Now learners will have even more opportunities to learn about the vehicles and their latest technologies.

This first class workshop includes ten car ramps, a dedicated all wheel alignment ramp, an MOT-style ATL test bay and a valeting bay, and a range of Snap-on and Pico diagnostics.

Our brand new facility at Pontardawe College is purpose built to industrial specification where we have recently launched a new vehicle body repair workshop, with state-of-the-art spray booths, a paint mixing room, wheel refurbishment booth and a high-intensity heating bay that boasts a prestigious state-of-the-art sponsored and promoted by the likes of deVilbiss tools.

The motor vehicle departments at Brecon Beacons also has fully equipped workshops with four post, two post and scissor-style vehicle lifts, diagnostic testing equipment from Bosch, Crypton, Pico, Autel and ASNU ultrasonic injector cleaning facilities.

What will I do?

Our courses aim to explore a vehicle’s construction and accurately repair damage to the vehicle itself and its body ready for finishing. You will complete a series of assignments and practical tasks carried out in our excellent facilities.

Career opportunities

Employment for mechanics is usually with garages, transport companies, road haulage companies or large organisations with fleets of vehicles. At technician level you will perform skilled diagnostic work, including work on electronic and computer controlled systems. The work is challenging and logical, involving a lot of problem solving. In larger companies, it is usually possible to gain promotion to supervisory and management roles.

Careers within the vehicle body repair and refinishing side is usually within garages, body shops and the motor sport industry that specialise in the repair of vehicles after accident damage. The skills involved within body repair and refinishing vary from sectioning panels to valeting, MIG welding and rectifying paint defects.

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NOVEMBER 2022

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April 2023

Student Success

Auto Refinishing Apprentice Joshua Jones has won a place in the WorldSkills UK Talent Programme.

Josh is currently undertaking an apprenticeship with Pathways Training (the College’s work-placed learning provider) and he spends four days a week on placement at Swansea-based vehicle body shop, ‘Scuffed Up’.

Josh’s journey to the WorldSkills UK Talent Programme has seen him compete across Wales and the UK. He took silver in the World Skills Wales competition final in January 2019 and then went on to compete in the World Skills UK qualifiers (one of only eighteen of the top apprentices in the UK). It was his performance here that won him a place in the World Skills Live UK Final in November 2019 and ultimately led to him being selected for the WorldSkills UK Talent Programme.

Josh hopes one day to run his own vehicle body shop, but until then, is enjoying earning whilst working at learning.

He said: “I’ve worked hard to get to where I am now, constantly improving my techniques and honing my craft, both at my workplace and during my study days at college. Being able to work at the same time as studying has been invaluable, as I learn new things every day at Scuffed Up; there are different kinds of jobs coming in every day on all kinds of cars, so you have to be adaptable. The sense of satisfaction when a customer leaves us happy is second to none. I really enjoy that.”

CoursES

Career-Focused Courses

Automotive Engineering

Automotive Engineering

Level Entry Requirements Duration Location

1 GCSEs at grade D/E or above are desirable, but practical experience is also considered. 1 Year Brecon/ Pontardawe 2 4 GCSEs at grade C or above are desirable, but practical experience is also considered. 1 Year Brecon/ Pontardawe

Automotive Engineering 3 5 GCSEs at grade C or above are desirable, but practical experience is also considered. 1 Year Brecon Vehicle Body Repair (Body) 1 GCSEs at grade D/E or above are desirable, but practical experience is also considered. 1 Year Pontardawe

Vehicle Body Repair Refinishing (Paint)

2 4 GCSEs at grade C or above are desirable but practical experience is also considered. 1 Year Pontardawe

Average annual earnings Emsi: www.economicmodeling.com