Lookers is a cut above for Dylan

Dylan, 17, from Pallion, is the latest apprentice to join the service department at the Stadium Way site.

“I really enjoy working with my hands and when I left school I was keen to learn how to cut hair with the aim to become a qualified barber,” he said.

“But after completing a full year of training at a local college, I decided it simply wasn’t a career I wanted to pursue.

“I’d heard about Apprenticeship Programmes and how they work from my friends, and that was when I set myself the challenge to find a suitable role and preferably one that would entail using my hands most of the time.”

After surfing a few online recruitment sites, Dylan was steered towards a vacancy for an apprentice motor vehicle technician at Lookers, formerly Jennings.

“The Apprenticeship Programme is a great option for youngsters who are not only given the opportunity to gain practical hands-on experience in a working environment, but they can also work towards achieving additional qualifications, and there’s also the added bonus of earning a wage at the same time, which is great,” he said.

The next three years will see Dylan gaining on-the-job experience working alongside a Master technician and three approved motor vehicle technicians within the service department, in addition to completing a number of practical examinations to test his knowledge and skills at the Kia Academy Training Centre in Nottingham.

At the end of the three-year programme, Dylan will be an approved Kia motor vehicle technician. His responsibilities will include diagnosing and replacing parts under the bonnet for customers, using the latest diagnostic equipment and genuine Kia parts.