Apprentice Motor Vehicle Technician’s Assistant
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Cradley Heath (B64 6RL)
Closes on Friday 12 September 2025
Posted on 11 August 2025
Contents
Summary
An exciting opportunity to work within a Vehicle Maintenance Workshop, where you will assist in carrying out general repairs to all types of motor vehicles and items of plant. Working from a Council Depot based in Cradley Heath, you will work towards a Level 3 motor vehicle service and maintenance technician (light vehicle) qualification.
- Wage
-
£14,526.20 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Motor vehicle service and maintenance technician - light vehicle (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday. Operating on a shift pattern, either: 6am to 2pm or 10am to 6pm.
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 3 November 2025
- Duration
-
3 years
- Positions available
-
2
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
- To assist in the repair and maintenance of Council vehicles
- Assist in carrying out diagnostic work and pre-MOT checks
- To help prepare new Council vehicles, ready for operational and road use
- Comply with Ministry of Transport directives on vehicle repair and maintenance
- To make sure that all work carried out is of a high quality standard.
Ensure that Health & Safety procedures are followed, including the wearing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - With a due regard for the safety and welfare of others, you will be expected to keep work areas clean, tidy and in a hygienic condition
- Complete all required documentation to a high standard
- Actively participate in regular progress reviews and attend team meetings
- Undertake appropriate training as identified relevant to the role
Be responsible for the safe use and security of Council equipment and report any loss or damage immediately - Pay attention to and follow, safe manual handling procedures when lifting heavy equipment
- It is your responsibility to carry out your duties in line with the Council's policy on Equality, and to be sensitive and caring to the needs of others, by promoting a positive approach to the working environment
Where you'll work
Sandwell Council Works Depot, Fleet Services Dept
Waterfall Lane
Cradley Heath
B64 6RL
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
SANDWELL COLLEGE
Training course
Motor vehicle service and maintenance technician - light vehicle (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- 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.
- Interpret diagnostic information and use electrical wiring diagrams to determine system serviceability.
- Use a range of diagnostic equipment.
- Follow recognised diagnostic procedures, logical diagnostic sequence and apply advanced diagnostic principles and problem-solving techniques to establish faults.
- 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.
- Test the function of repaired and fitted components.
- Adhere to business processes and complete documentation following workplace procedures.
- Use ICT to create emails, word-process documents and carry out web based searches.
- Complete a range of services and inspect and prepare a vehicle to the required quality standard for handover to the customer.
- 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.
- Interpret diagnostic information and use electrical wiring diagrams to determine system serviceability.
- Use a range of diagnostic equipment.
- Follow recognised diagnostic procedures, logical diagnostic sequence and apply advanced diagnostic principles and problem-solving techniques to establish faults.
- 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.
- Test the function of repaired and fitted components.
- Adhere to business processes and complete documentation following workplace procedures.
- Use ICT to create emails, word-process documents and carry out web based searches.
- Complete a range of services and inspect and prepare a vehicle to the required quality standard for handover to the customer.
Training schedule
At the end, you will gain a Level 3 qualification in Motor Vehicle Service and maintenance technician (light vehicle). The apprenticeship training will be delivered in the workplace, as you will receive regular visits from a college assessor, and you will also attend college 1 day per week. The apprenticeship will also include a proportion of 20% Off-The-Job Training and a robust programme of Mandatory Apprentice Training provided by Sandwell Council to include Fire Awareness, Prevent, Safeguarding, Data Protection & Cyber Security and Equality & Diversity.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 9-4/A-C)
- Maths (grade 9-4/A-C)
Other in:
- English (grade Level 2)
- Maths (grade Level 2)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
- Wearing of PPE
- Work in dirty conditions
- Work in confined spaces
- Adhere to health & safety
- Follow instructions
Other requirements
Proof of qualification certificates will be required during the recruitment process. You must be able to wear a uniform & appropriate Personal Protective Equipment at all times. You must be able to work outdoors / deal with changeable weather conditions and sometimes work in a dirty environment that has confined spaces. It would be advantageous to be physically fit, and we reserve the right to close vacancies prior to their advertised date, if we receive numerous applications. Therefore, you are strongly advised to complete and return your application as soon as possible.
About this employer
Sandwell is a large, multicultural metropolitan borough situated in the heart of the Black Country, to the west of Birmingham, within the West Midlands conurbation and with a population of over 280,000. The Council is one of the largest employers in the Borough with employees in a variety of occupations, providing a comprehensive range of services. For more information about Sandwell Council’s apprenticeship programme and our recruitment process please visit our YouTube channel. Find out more information on Sandwell’s Values and Behaviours on the council’s webpage. For more information on careers in local government you can view a copy of the Local Government Career Guide.
After this apprenticeship
This apprenticeship is a fixed-term 36 month contract. However, the skills, knowledge and experience gained in this apprenticeship will allow you to gain future opportunities in the sector.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
SANDWELL COLLEGE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000336482.
Apply now
Closes on Friday 12 September 2025
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