Career in Automotive Development? Advice Please?

MiissTL

Hello all,

My boyfriend is currently an apprentice mechanic in a main dealers.
He is 21 but very good with cars.
He has never worked in a garage before but is expected to know how to do everything.
He feels he is being taught nothing and lately he finds himself brushing the floor for most of the day and running around doing errands that are of no benefit to him.

Now I know he is only an apprentice and they are expected to do this etc. etc. but this company has not registered him yet apparently and so he will have to wait longer and longer to be called to FAS.. In my opinion, they are using the cheap labour. He should be being taught and not doing the work of qualified mechanics.

He is now wondering if there are any automotive courses in any colleges in Ireland?

He's very bright and has many aspirations, he would like to one day be working with some car manufacturer on the development side of things. (Dream Big! )

Does anybody know of how he could begin on this route?

I know doing a mechanic apprenticeship is a good start but he's not happy with his workplace and won't complain because he knows he is lucky to have a job.

He wants to consider going down another route or even looking for another employer!

I believe being happy is the most important thing in life and so want to help him to achieve that.

If anybody has any experience or advice I would love to hear from you and would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks for reading.!

si_guru

He will need a degree in mechanical engineering - get him off to college.

Owen

It depends on what area he wants to get into. Industrial Design is full of people who want to design cars, but most end up making toasters and dvd players.

MiissTL

MiissTL wrote: »

..............

He is now wondering if there are any automotive courses in any colleges in Ireland?
............

There used to be the the likes of Automobile Engineering in Cork Inst of Tech, a lad a year ahead of me in school did a cert in it, he went into car sales, he always wanted to I believe. Another lad I know did the diploma in it, he works as a mechanic now in his ole lads garage, I believe the diploma coupled with his experience is equivalent to being time served for insurance reasons, I may be wrong at that.

BAck then (10 years ago ish) there was an option to do further study in some college in the UK that I think claimed to be a design based course, realistically though a degree in mech eng might be the thing to do and trying to get a workplacement in some UK based factory, many want the same thing though.

A quick peak at the CIT site brings up this course..
http://www.cit.ie/course/CR046

Other Inst of Tech will have similar I imagine, not exactly what you were looking for though.

Though the mech eng route may be the most likely (yet still a long shot) way of getting into development like he wants the mech eng course may not be at all suitable for him, the mech eng and elec eng course brochures bored the sh1te out of me when I was a school leaver.

MiissTL

Thanks guys. I will show him these!

FrontDoor

When you say he is very bright, has he a good head for maths? He doesn't need to be an A1 hons student, just competent at it.

If so, then he should consider a Mechanical Engineering degree, either in an IT or a Uni.

Once he is in, he should try to cultivate some sort of relationship with car manufacturers in the UK. Most students do not pay any attention to who they do a placement with. Rolls Royce in Derby, with associated jet engines and nuclear turbines, would be a great crowd to try to get a placement with.

You make your own luck, but he must be prepared to travel for work as there is no automotive design going on here.

heate

JaguarLandRover hire for these purposes quite often and to be honest would be a fine education in itself they do output some spectacular vehicles.
His current job isn't going I get him anywhere industry wise

V Eight

Most people have worked in similar situations - crap job going no where - not being developed and just sweeping floors - the most important thing is to learn from this experience and know what you do not want to do. At 21 - study study study and learn....to avoid years of sweeping floors and learning the hard way.........

GavMan

Friend of mine did mechatronics in DCU and was hired by JagLandRover in the UK.

Bear in mind, if he really wants to work in this field, he will be moving to the UK or further a field. Although that shouldn't stop anyone pursuing their dream.

An aptitude for Maths and science (particularly Physics and/or Chemistry) will be a big help to him. Although, if he's not confident at them, starting in an IT where the learning curving is slightly less steep (as the degree courses are longer) would be a good first step.

Just to mention there are lots and lots of engineers etc working in car plants that have nothing at all to do with development

heate

http://www.simi.ie/training_career_development/course_details.aspx?id=76

Check out the SIMI website actually

nogoodnamesleft

I recon you would be wasting your time doing anything automotive in college in Ireland. There is substantial financial investment in automotive courses in the UK. Bentley, Jag, Landrover and Ford also have approved apprenticeship schemes.

If he wants to get into the development side of thinks Mech Eng and Automotive schools from universities across the UK race in Formula student in July every year. Seen 1st hand the cars and development that goes into it very impressive pity Irish university don't compete.

And he would need at least a degree if not higher in todays job environment to get into the engineering side.

pajo1981

nogoodnamesleft wrote: »

I recon you would be wasting your time doing anything automotive in college in Ireland. There is substantial financial investment in automotive courses in the UK. Bentley, Jag, Landrover and Ford also have approved apprenticeship schemes.

If he wants to get into the development side of thinks Mech Eng and Automotive schools from universities across the UK race in Formula student in July every year. Seen 1st hand the cars and development that goes into it very impressive pity Irish university don't compete.

And he would need at least a degree if not higher in todays job environment to get into the engineering side.

The DIT entered forumla student class 1 for the first time last year, and came 47th out of 79 - beating many UK universities..

http://www.formulastudent.com/events/pastevents/FS2011/Results

See the link for results breakdown.

nogoodnamesleft

pajo1981 wrote: »

The DIT entered forumla student class 1 for the first time last year, and came 47th out of 79 - beating many UK universities..

http://www.formulastudent.com/events/pastevents/FS2011/Results

See the link for results breakdown.

Wasnt aware that DIT competed. Interesting to note that the top 2 spots were German thou.

The thing about the UK is that certain universities have close ties with industry (depending upon research interests).

Sikie

Have a look at this it is for Nissan it has 2 sites 1 for manufacturing jobs in Sunderland and the other for its European Design centre

http://careersatnissan.co.uk/

Try using googling other automotive manufacturers that have plants in the UK Toyota Derby and Honda Swindon for more details

engsmeng

Hi MiissTL,
I'm uniquely placed to answer your question, i have a family backround in automotive mechanics (Family Business), with many years experience working basically as an apprentice, but i also have a mechanical engineering degree + masters specializing in the energy, alternate vehicles and emissions.

As other posters have mentioned, if your boyfriend wants to work in the field he really does need at least a degree in engineering and if he has the interest he will be well able for it. While i found that practical experience was much more valuable to me (it gives a special insight to problems and gives a completely different viewpoint to design based problems).BUT a degree is a must have or he has very little chance of getting into R&D.

He will have to move to find work in the area,England is the most likely but i don't agree with the point that he has to go to do a special automotive course in the UK. I did mechanical engineering in UCD and have a few friends who graduated in august who are now working in the UK (1 as a Development Engineer for Nissan another as in a similar role for Land-rover Jaguar), they didn't specialize in automotive fields or even study anything particularly automotive at all. The skills learned in a mech eng degree are more than enough for many similar areas. Even with the recession they are still hiring in very high numbers, Land-rover have been recruiting in engineering departments for the last few months.

My advice to him would be if he really really wants to work for a large automotive company would be to

1) Contact the large companies directly(Vauxhall, Land-rover, Nissan etc.) in the UK) and inquire as to apprenticeship programs or training programs, but this is unlikely to lead to the development area.
Here is the Bentley apprentice program....(http://www.bentleymotors.com/careers/apprentice_programme/) all the other companies will have similar.

2) If that is a no go due to qualifications, get him to visit engineering departments in Universities and I.T's to get a feel for the subject, if he feels comfortable doing it etc. If he has any questions P.M me and ill be happy to answer them. Possibly a part time degree while still working in the garage he presently is working, but not on an apprenticeship program.

If he is unable or unwilling to go get a engineering degree its is extremely unlikely he will be able to work in the field. So get him back to education and start the hard work.

If either him or you have any questions relating to any of this stuff feel free to message me and ill do my best to help you.

pajo1981 wrote: »

The DIT entered forumla student class 1 for the first time last year, and came 47th out of 79 - beating many UK universities..
http://www.formulastudent.com/events/pastevents/FS2011/Results
See the link for results breakdown.

The UCD engineering department have competed in the competition in the past and are currently setting up to compete again in the next few years.

SeanSwe

nogoodnamesleft wrote: »

I recon you would be wasting your time doing anything automotive in college in Ireland. There is substantial financial investment in automotive courses in the UK. Bentley, Jag, Landrover and Ford also have approved apprenticeship schemes.

If he wants to get into the development side of thinks Mech Eng and Automotive schools from universities across the UK race in Formula student in July every year. Seen 1st hand the cars and development that goes into it very impressive pity Irish university don't compete.

And he would need at least a degree if not higher in todays job environment to get into the engineering side.

Bring this post back from the dead a bit but the University of Limerick also do formula student... they are competing this year in class 1 for the first time. And technically they aren't Irish but on the same land mass but Queens in Belfast have been in it for years to my knowledge. The DIT one is not as accessable as UL or Queens (and UCD when they are back) because DIT Formula Student, to my knowledge, is only for forth year students for FYPs. He could stay in Ireland and do it... one would be surprised how much involvement in motorsport is in Ireland - there is a guy in Tip who builds F1 race cars.

bbuzz

SeanSwe wrote: »

there is a guy in Tip who builds F1 race cars.

WHAT?

Any chance you have a link to this?

(Not trying to be rude, just interested.)

SeanSwe

The company is call munster motorsport, he built the private f1 car at the Abu Dhabi track, they use it for the VIPS to try their skills at an f1 car, so its tuned down a bit, but apparently it could run full f1 spec with a few changes.
He mainly does alot of work of rally cars (bread and butter), but he has wsb and bsb bikes coming in. the owner use to work for toyota rally team back in its prime.