Motor Vehicle and Service Technician (Level 3)

Who is this Apprenticeship for?

This course is for any eligible candidates, who wish to earn a wage while developing their skills and knowledge needed to be able to pursue a career in motor vehicle maintenance.

As an Apprentice you will gain valuable experience working with an employer, servicing and maintaining vehicle systems including engines, brakes and steering whilst gaining the skills of communication, reading job cards, locating vehicle data and carrying out a variety of measurements. In the workshop, while working on vehicles, you will learn how to use car lifts, power tools and how to maintain vehicle systems. You will also develop valuable transferable skills, such as problem solving and how to work to deadlines.

This Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship will require vehicle diagnosis of vehicle faults and evaluation of the completed task to ensure the diagnosis was correct. If you are interested in learning through practical experience, this could be the course for you.

Are there any entry requirements?

Must be a UK citizen, or have the right of abode in the UK, or is a citizen of a country that is within the EEA and have been ordinarily resident in the UK, the EU or the EEA continuously for the previous three years before the start of learning.

Candidates will have achieved a minimum of GCSE Grade 9-4 (A*-C) or equivalent in English and Maths. We also offer Functional Skills English and maths at Level 2 for those needing to gain these qualifications prior to enrolment.

Apprentices must be employed, for a minimum of 30 hours, in a role that suits the skills requirements of this apprenticeship.

New applicants will be contacted by a vocational delivery tutor to determine suitability/eligibility prior, give information and advice on the next steps.

Shortlisted applicants will be sent to the employer, to then follow their recruitment procedure. Unsuitable applicants will be sign-posted to other areas of our service to develop transferable/employability skills, with a view to ensuring they are suitable for other apprenticeship positions in the future.

What is the curriculum intent of this Apprenticeship?

The structure and delivery of the course curriculum will enable you to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours to reflect the needs of local and regional employers, gain qualifications and be successful in this area.

The curriculum is planned and sequenced to enable learners with previous knowledge and experience to develop the new skills needed to progress to the next stage of their career, training, education or employment.

The curriculum is flexible and responsive to learner demands and can be tailored to suit individual needs arising from any current and dynamic issues affecting their role, which can be addressed during workshop sessions.

As an apprentice you will need to be able to demonstrate knowledge and practical skills at the end of your apprenticeship training programme and understand how this reflects the needs of the local, regional and national economy.

What will the Apprenticeship cover?

The motor vehicle service and maintenance technician apprentice will develop the knowledge and understanding of:

Legislative, regulatory and ethical requirements, including health and safety law and environmental procedures
The structure of the industry and how the business works
Working relationships and communicate effectively
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
The implications and legal requirements of fitting accessories and carrying out vehicle modifications
Diagnosing faults using suitable fault-finding strategies
Construction and operation of advanced vehicle systems
Vehicle emissions and legal requirements
Alternative fuels and hybrid and electric systems

Develop the skills in:

Contributing to the maintenance of a safe and efficient workshop
Demonstrating regard for own safety and that of others in the workshop, minimising risk of injury and vehicle damage
Carrying out fundamental tasks associated with removal and replacement procedures on a vehicle
Obtaining diagnostic and repair information
Interpreting diagnostic information and use electrical wiring diagrams to determine system serviceability
Using a range of diagnostic equipment
Following recognised diagnostic procedures, logical diagnostic sequence and apply advanced diagnostic principles and problem-solving techniques to establish faults
Reporting faults using company procedures and recommend suitable further actions
Following recognised repair procedures to complete a wide range of repairs
Testing the function of repaired and fitted components
Adhering to business processes and complete documentation following workplace procedures
Using ICT to create emails, word-process documents and carry out web-based searches
Completing a range of services and inspect and prepare a vehicle to the required quality standard for handover to the customer

Develop and demonstrate the following behaviours:

Taking responsibility when required, be honest and accountable when things don’t go as planned
Operating as an effective team member
Behaving in accordance with the values of the company, treating colleagues and customers with respect and courtesy
Building effective relationships with colleagues and customers.
Gaining trust and pay attention to colleagues and customers concerns and needs
Communicating effectively on a range of topics and with all sorts of different people
Delivering excellent results and achieving challenging goals
Contributing to problem solving
Suggesting ways to make the business more efficient and contribute to its commercial growth
Constantly learn to improve own and business performance
Sharing knowledge and skills
Demonstrating a passion for engineering

On completion of the on-programme element of the apprenticeship you will enter gateway to the End Point Assessment, which is the final assessment. This will be conducted by an independent end point assessor who will grade the assessment.

End Point Assessment

To trigger the End Point Assessment, you must have:

English & maths GCSE minimum grade 4+ (C+) or equivalent level 2 qualification proof
Completed a showcase portfolio, demonstrating how you have met the knowledge, skills and behaviours

The End Point Assessment consists of:

Online Knowledge Test: Two tests consisting of multiple choice, ordering and drag and drop questions lasting a maximum of 45 minutes with a 30-minute break in between.
Skills Test: A 2 day practical assessment, completing 4 – 6 diagnostic and repair tasks.
Professional Discussion: A 1 hour discussion to determine your level of behaviour, knowledge and understanding of 4 random repairs from the showcase portfolio.

This standard will be graded as Distinction, Pass or Fail.

What could I do when I have finished this Apprenticeship?

You may gain employment with your employer and / or decide to complete an Advanced or Higher Apprenticeship. This course will also allow you entry to the MOT tester course, should you wish to pursue this. You will also be given information and guidance to continue onto other courses.

Where and when will I learn?

During the course you will be expected to attend our Training Centre (Lingfield Way, Darlington, DL1 4QZ) 1 day a week developing your knowledge and practical skills in a controlled environment. These are a combination of classroom and workshop sessions allowing you to enhance your knowledge of the various vehicle systems and develop your practical skills in a controlled environment. These sessions will allow you to complete coursework, receive instant feedback and ensure you are ready for the End Point Assessment. The remainder of the week will be spent working with your employer putting the theory into practice to further develop your knowledge, skills and behaviours in a real working environment.

This course will typically take 36 months, but this is based on a vocational initial assessment to determine prior learning in this area.

How much will the Apprenticeship cost?

There are no fees for this apprenticeship.

What do I do next?

You can:

View our latest vacancies

Or you can:

Apply for this apprenticeship area to be entered into a 'pool of candidates'. When a relevant vacancy becomes available we will contact you.
If you are already employed in this area and wish to join the apprenticeship training, or have identified an employer wishing to start you as an apprentice in this area, please contact us