CAREER CHANGE: How do you become a mechanic?

[ScottMk2Gti16v]

I'm 24 years old, just jacked in a full time job (office/IT/admin kind of stuff) to go back to college to study computing (I am also working part time in my old office job).  I'm sitting here bored with programming code and a bunch of weirdos in my class and don't think I want to pursue any kind of career sat behind a desk answering a phone or pissing about with programming code!!

Anyway, as I'm getting more and more into my cars I can't help but wonder if it's possible to pursue a career as a mechanic (or motor vehicle technician as it now appears to be called....).  As far as I know it's only easy to break into the industry as an apprentice and don't think anyone would consider hiring such an old newbie to the trade.  I've had a quick look at various websites/agencies/organisations today and am a bit overloaded with info - I've sent a few emails and await a response, but am just wondering (as I presume a lot of you work in the trade!) if you've had any experience relevant to what I'm on about here. Have any of you dont it yourselves?   What's the latest one of you has chosen to go down the road of mechanics?

[DazVR6]

Why not start by jacking in the computer course and taking up a course in motor mechanics such as a b-tech, you can start at the foundation level,which is a year i think or if youve got a little knowledge already then start at the intermediate level, which again i think is a year and at this level they will organise you work experience which might very well be the openig you need. Istarted this course when i lived in london but qiut half way through due to personal reasons but i regret leaving it

[HARDCOR3]

buy a set of spanners....

[Agreeable Slick]

Whatever you do don't do anything related to motorsport. It is the biggest failure course in the system. Not because no one passes (as that is the easy bit) but because companies are not interested in anyone without a degree for such a level of mechanics.

I learned the hard way, now i am a fully qualified engineer, and doing a degree in automotive design.

The best advice i can give is to go to a reputable college and have a word with their lecturers, and don't let them start talking about how good the college it, go in and actually speak to people without all the "glossing over" that happens. If you show them that you mean business most places will appreciate it and give you some honest answers.

If that fails then approach as many businesses as possible, and ask about their apprenticeship schemes, they will more than likely send you out a pack that you can read through. 

[HARDCOR3]

or, do what i did and teach yourself everything you know...

[Agreeable Slick]

There is that way an all, i did the same, but then i was younger and had the time and money to spend without the worry of bills or anything like that.

I suppose it depends on what sort of time frame you are looking at. Basically all cars are pretty similar underneath, so if you can do something on one car then you can do it to another.

[Stu.750]

I left school at 16 and did an apprentiship  3yrs i got a BTEC national cert in motor vehicle engineering , a NVQ 3  in motor vehicle diagnostics , Repair and maintanance

Worked for a couple of years then went off to uni and basically experianced what Slick did

they didnt cater for what i needed to know i was recovering things that i learnt at 16 and then doing math and engineering science that was WAY too difficult for me to comprehend

As for starting out i knopw what i was leaving school i started applying for apprentiships now , try wrighting to as many places as you can , explain your interest , many places will apreciate somone that WANTS to do the job instead of endind up with some plank , i remember i place called BK international dealt with honda , jaguar , and some other main manufacturers could google them see what comes up

 as a word of caution tho , when i was working in garages i found it quite hard to find the motivation to work on my own car , you might be different , an if you do get yourself an apprentishop be prepaired for a bit of frustration at collage youll be there with mainly 16yos many without a care for cars or learning anything (tho most tech collages have hair n beauty courses there so that sometimes makes up for it)

last of all good luck , i dont twirl spanners for a living anymore but still got all my pretty shiney tools to use on whatever i want

[mk2mark]

Build a kit-car instead to get it out of your system, suffer out the computer course and get yourself a well paid job in an industry crying out for people. It's pretty much what I'm doing

It is hard work though, I might be luckier than you too because none of the guys are nerds or into games like I was expecting - they're all into sports, cars and music - we basically had a band going over the summer It's an option though.

[JMallows]

(tho most tech collages have hair n beauty courses there so that sometimes makes up for it)

That and biology, loads of fit girls!

How i miss my days at college, there are no fit girls doing physics

[Stu.750]

I had to go away to tech collage , every other months i went away to nottingham , stayed at the AA s own collage , gym swimming pool sauna , bar ON SITE , then nottinham was 15 mins taxi away , wednesday nite was student nite was like a holiday for 2 weeks every months , all the apprentises from across the country used to go at the same time was carnage but great fun