Hardwoods Five Oaks Accident repair Centre - Panel Technician Apprenticeship
HARWOODS LIMITED
Billinghurst (RH14 9AZ)
Closes in 14 days (Thursday 9 July 2026)
Posted on 25 June 2026
Contents
Summary
As part of the Volkswagen Group Paint and Body network, you will have the opportunity to work on a range of vehicles from Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
You will develop the skills you need to successfully refinish vehicles back to factory standards and return them to our customers as good as new.
- Wage
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£16,640 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Vehicle damage panel technician (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday – Friday. 0830 – 1730.
Possibility of Saturday workings and / or shifts.
Working week will be confirmed on application.
40 hours a week
- Start date
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Saturday 1 August 2026
- Duration
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3 years
- Positions available
-
1
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
Vehicle Damage Panel Technicians specialise in repairing or replacing damaged panels on our customer’s vehicles.
Over the course of the apprenticeship, you will develop the skills to prepare a vehicle for a Paint Technician by repairing, replacing, and preparing accident-damaged body panels utilising special tools and procedures to Volkswagen Group standards.
Daily duties will vary according to location and may include:
- Assessing the level of damage to a vehicle and choosing to either repair or replace panels.
- Removing damaged panels.
- Repairing damaged chassis and panels.
- Keeping logs of work carried out and informing customers of any additional work.
- Maintaining a clean and safe work environment.
Our ideal Vehicle Damage Panel Technician will have an eye for detail and perfection with the passion to deliver excellent service for our customers.
We are looking for people who are passionate about our industry and our brand. Some of the personal skills that you should think about showing us in your application are:
- Enthusiasm and willingness to learn
- Teamwork
- Strong communication
- Customer Service
- Interest in vehicle engineering
We are looking for an enthusiastic, hardworking individual to join our team and embark on a long term career, with excellent earning and progression opportunities once you complete your apprenticeship.
Where you'll work
Horsham Rd
Billinghurst
RH14 9AZ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
INSPIRO LEARNING LIMITED
Training course
Vehicle damage panel technician (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Ability to undertake appropriate job preparation prior to commencing repair, including safety precautions, panel preparation and body measurements.
- Ability to identify the material used in the construction to enable the correct joining techniques and manufacturer specifications to be adhered to.
- Ability to interpret relevant technical data and methods to make sure that any joints are in line with vehicle manufacturer specification and the vehicle/body panels are aligned correctly
- Ability to identify and understand the correct joining technology, e.g. when to use resistance spot welding or mig brazing or bonding.
- Ability to remove, repair and replace vehicle body panels and components of the vehicle safely and efficiently
- Ability to identify and operate the correct repair tools, equipment and devices used in the process, panel pulling systems, jig and alignment tools, spot welders, brazing tools.
- Ability to identify and communicate supplementary damage such as panels that were deemed to be reparable but once worked on were found to be beyond repair along with damage that could not be established on original inspection.
- Ability to detect and rectify faults within a vehicles structure that’s integral to its safety
Training schedule
Training will be delivered using a combination of virtual classroom remote learning and face-to-face block release weeks at our state-of-the-art training centre.
Successful applicants must be prepared to travel to the Inspiro Learning Centre in Doncaster to complete their apprenticeship training. All training-related costs are fully covered as part of the programme, including travel, accommodation, and meals.
In the workplace, your personal, dedicated mentor will support your continued learning as you apply the skills and knowledge you have gained through the remote sessions and at the Inspiro Learning Centre.
This is a fully rounded training experience where you will build life skills that last and gain both apprenticeship qualifications and brand certifications.
On successful completion of the three-year programme, you will receive the following:
- Level 3 Vehicle Damage Panel Technician Apprenticeship
- Brand-specific certifications
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
Other requirements
As part of our commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, all applications are automatically anonymised by our recruitment system. This is with the aim of realising our ambition to have a workforce that is reflective of the community we serve and eliminating unconscious bias, allowing employees to be appointed based on their talent, skills and experiences regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic.
English and Maths guidance from the government changed on 11th February 2025. This employer wishes to support upskilling in both English and maths by exception, and as such, the entry grade criteria as advertised still apply.
The closing date for this vacancy is 09/07/2026, and interviews are expected to be held week commencing 27/07/2026. We reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a sufficient number of applications. We therefore advise candidates to submit their applications as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Please do not contact the retailer directly. Inspiro Learning carry out the full recruitment service for this employer. Due to the high number of applications, we cannot provide a timescale on when you are likely to receive a response. As most of our roles are recruited for on an ongoing basis, we will contact you if you are successful at progressing to the next step. It is not possible for us to contact every applicant individually. If you have not heard back on a specific vacancy but find another opportunity that is of interest to you, we welcome an additional application.
About this employer
Volkswagen Group (VWG) is one of the UK’s largest car retailers encompassing premium brands such as Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Volkswagen, TPS, Volkswagen Group Paint and Body and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
Our network of Volkswagen Group approved Paint and Body centres deliver a first class service to customers using teams of highly trained experts and the same paint, parts and materials that are used at our factories.
Our apprenticeship programme gives you the opportunity to become part of this network, working within an approved body shop and receiving world class training from our industry experts
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Volkswagen Group (VWG) is one of the UK’s largest car retailers encompassing premium brands such as Audi, Bentley, SEAT, ŠKODA, Volkswagen, TPS, Volkswagen Group Paint and Body and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. This network of retailers spans the UK, providing a wide range of career opportunities.
Once your apprenticeship is complete, you will continue your learning journey and you will have the opportunity drive your career forward. Some of our apprentices have gone on to become team leaders and managers within the retail network or even joined our team at Head Office in Milton Keynes.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
INSPIRO LEARNING LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000039315.
Apply now
Closes in 14 days (Thursday 9 July 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.