Parents

At the end of Year 11, upon receiving their GCSE results your child will have the option to study for A-Levels in a Sixth Form or college, enrol on a full-time college course or undertake an apprenticeship – whichever route they choose it can lead to a successful and rewarding career in the Retail Automotive Industry.

  • DO NOT TOUCH

  • IMI Parents Pack - home schooling support

    Parents we know this is a very difficult time juggling work and home schooling so we have pulled together a range of free downloadable education lesson plans, resources and fun activities to support you while you are at home during this difficult time.

    *Please note that there are two separate downloads for any of the lesson plans, one for the pupil and one for the teacher/parent which has all the answers in there for you too.  If you are using Chrome you need to ‘right click’ and select ‘Open’.

     

    For secondary school ages

    • ‘Design the Future’ : design, brand, and bring to market your very own vehicle for a target audience using the workbook DOWNLOAD
    • Acrostic poetry: create a beautiful acrostic poem with Lesson 5 teachers DOWNLOAD & students DOWNLOAD
    • Understand online presence with ICT Lesson 3 and support your child to be mindful online Teacher Pupil
    • Learn about angles using Lesson 10 ‘Off Road’ activity in the Maths resource teacher DOWNLOAD Pupil 
    • 52x lesson plans mapped to the Maths, Literacy, Business Studies and ICT curriculum using the retail automotive industry as a real life setting for tasks and activities with a student guide and teachers pack with easy to follow guidance and support materials download here.

    For those leaving school this year

    • Create a CV: Prepare for your next step and create your own CV using Modules from the Employability Toolkit Parents DOWNLOAD & Pupils DOWNLOAD
    • Apply for your next step and impress at your interview: using module 6 of Employability Toolkit Parents & Pupils
    • Parents’ guide: it’s a difficult time right now and the Parents Guide will support you to navigate your child’s next steps as they leave school Parents Guide
    • If your child has left school and is now looking for an apprenticeship we have lots listed across the UK which you can view and apply for here

    For Primary school pupils

    • Create a poster: what do you think vehicles will look like in the future? Draw, paint or sketch your ideas and share them with us parents guide 
    • Top Trumps: have a game and learn about some potential jobs for their future Download

    Games and fun careers activities

    Videos to watch 

    • Hear from real life apprentices in these 40mins careers talks on Light Vehicle Technology with BMW HERE and Accident Repair with Nationwide HERE 
    • See inside the industry with these 360* VR films HERE and HERE 

    Additional support from the IMI

    Well-being for all
    Well-being is paramount at this time both for you and for your children, please see below support networks to get you all through this.
    – Young Minds https://youngminds.org.uk/blog/
    – Learner support https://www.gov.uk/learner-support
    – Every Mind Matters https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/

    Please get in touch with the IMI Careers and Student Membership team if you need any further information or assistance on careers@theimi.org.uk

  • Guide for parents – steering your teenager into a career in the motor industry

  • OPTIONS: Apprenticeships

    Your child can actually start their automotive career at the age of 16 as many employers take on apprentices at this stage. These apprenticeships cover a variety of roles which will conclude with your child gaining a relevant qualification or apprenticeship certificate and work experience within an exciting industry. Although no guarantees are given to them being offered a permanent position within the organisation when they complete their apprenticeship, it is the intention of employers to train and qualify their young people in order to become their full time employees.

    There are now 2 different types of apprenticeships for you to choose from.  The Frameworks or the Standards, below are the key points to consider for both options.

  • OPTIONS: Vocational Route in Full Time College

    Those who choose to undertake a full time college course will also gain a relevant qualification and will be given the opportunity to spend a week or two per year gaining work experience which can be added to their CV and give them the chance to make industry contacts and learn from their placement colleagues and managers. Again, qualifications are available in a number of areas – all of which are excellent starting points for young people to work towards an automotive career.

    Search for a course          

    For specific IMI qualifications you can also search for your nearest IMI Approved Centre and contact them direct about their courses

    Search for a course: National Careers Service Course Directory

    Search for a qualification               

    Search for a qualification: Register of Regulated Qualifications (OFQUAL)

    Other links: IMI,  City & Guilds and Pearson

  • OPTIONS: A-Levels and Beyond

    If your child chooses to study A-Levels they can still join the automotive industry upon completion by seeking employment or an apprenticeship in their area of interest.

    Others do not decide on their career path so soon and follow a more academic route into the industry – many automotive roles, such as in the areas of Sales, Marketing, Finance or Management, are taken by graduates who have studied to degree level.

    Search for a job

    A good place to start looking for an automotive job vacancy is the Institute of the Motor Industry’s job vacancy platform, IMI Auto Jobs and of course other job searching platforms.

  • What apprenticeships are there to choose from?

    With over 150 different job roles available in the Retail Automotive industry there really is something for everyone.  Below are the different Apprenticeship routes available for the sector.  As a guide an Intermediate Apprenticeship is a level 2 qualification so its equivalent to GCSE Grades A-C and a Higher Level Apprenticeship is at Level 3 or A Level equivalent.

    Vehicle Body and Paint Apprenticeship Framework

    • Intermediate level apprenticeship
      • Mechanical & Electrical Trim Technician
      • Body Building Technician
      • Panel Technician
      • Paint Technician
    • Advanced level apprenticeship
      • Senior Mechanical & Electrical Trim Technician
      • Senior Body Building Technician
      • Senior Panel Technician
      • Senior Paint Technician

    Vehicle Parts Apprenticeship Framework

    • Intermediate level apprenticeship
      • Parts Sales Representatives
      • Parts Telesales Representative
    • Advanced level apprenticeship
      • Vehicle Parts Adviser

    Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Apprenticeship Framework

    • Intermediate level apprenticeship
      • Light Vehicle Service Technician
      • Heavy Vehicle Service Technician
      • Motorcycle Service Technician
      • Auto Electrical Technician
      • Mobile Electrical Installation Technician
      • Heavy Vehicle Trailer Technician
      • Lift Truck Technician
    • Advanced level apprenticeship
      • Light Vehicle Diagnostic Technician
      • Heavy Vehicle Diagnostic Technician
      • Motorcycle Diagnostic Technician
      • Auto Electrical Diagnostic Technician
      • Mobile Electrical Installation Diagnostic Technician
      • Lift Truck Diagnostic Technician
    • Higher level apprenticeship
      • Master/Senior Technician
      • Workshop Controller

    Vehicle Fitting Apprenticeship Framework

    • Intermediate level apprenticeship:
      • Fast Fit Technician
      • Motor Vehicle Fitter
      • Tyre Technician
    • Advanced level apprenticeship
      • Fast-Fit Operations

    Vehicle Sales Apprenticeship Framework

    • Intermediate level apprenticeship
      • Sales Adviser
    • Advanced level apprenticeship
      • Senior Sales Adviser

    Business and Administration Apprenticeship Framework

    • Intermediate level apprenticeship
      • Administrator
      • Business Support Officer
      • Office Junior
      • Receptionist
    • Advanced level apprenticeship
      • Administration Officer/Executive
      • Administration Team Leader
      • Office Supervisor
      • Personal Assistant
      • Secretary
    • Higher apprenticeship
      • Office Manager
      • Administration Team Leader
      • Personal Assistant/Executive Assistant
      • Business Development Executive

    Customer Service Apprenticeship Framework

    • Intermediate Level Apprenticeship
      • Customer Service Trainee/Assistant
      • Customer Service Representative/Agent
    • Advanced Level Apprenticeship
      • Customer Relationship Manager
      • Customer Co-ordinator/Team Leader

    Accounting Apprenticeship Framework

    • Intermediate level apprenticeship
      • Accounts Assistant
      • Accounts Clerk
      • Cashier
      • Credit Control Clerk
      • Finance Assistant
      • Purchase Ledger Clerk
      • Sales Ledger Clerk
    • Advanced level apprenticeship
      • Trainee Accounting Technician
      • Assistant Accountant
    • Higher apprenticeship
      • Accounts Manager
      • Accounting Technician
  • Frequently Asked Questions

    How are apprentices trained to gain a qualification?

    Day to day you will learn ‘on the job’ with your employer and then ‘off the job’ training will either be through day release at a local college or block release with a national training provider. Block release training is typically 6 to 8 weeks per year and this may involve staying away from home. You will be assessed throughout your apprenticeship by both your tutor and employer – you may also be assigned a workplace mentor to support your learning.

    What qualification level is an apprenticeship?

    An apprenticeship can be at various levels. An intermediate level apprenticeship is equivalent to a Level 2 qualification (eg GCSEs or Scottish Nationals), an advanced level apprenticeships is equivalent to a Level 3 qualification (eg A-Levels, BTECs or Scottish Highers) and a higher level apprenticeship goes beyond to Level 4 (HNC/D or a Foundation Degree).

    How long is an apprenticeship?

    The duration of an apprenticeship can be between 1 and 4 years however the majority of apprenticeships are between 2 to 3 years. An apprenticeship agreement will be signed to clarify this before the start of an apprenticeship.

    How much is an apprentice paid?

    Apprentices are paid as per the apprentice national minimum wage, set by the government – this is currently £3.50 per hour for those under 19 years of age or at any age if in the first year of an apprenticeship. Some employers may pay more than the minimum hourly rate and may also fund other expenses (eg travel, food and accommodation whilst on block release training).

    How do you find an apprenticeship?

    There are a number of ways to search for an apprenticeship including making direct contact with potential employers – see downloadable Teaching Resources on the Schools, Teachers & Careers Advisors page.  In addition local and national colleges/training providers and apprenticeship management agencies can all assist.  However the best place to search independently for current apprenticeship vacancies is via: National Apprenticeship Service and IMI Auto Jobs

    How do you find a suitable course and training provider?

    Making contact with local colleges or attending a Careers and Further Education event is a good starting point.  If you or they already know what qualification they are looking to gain a course can be found by searching on subject and/or location via https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/course-directory/home.

    What job roles are there in the automotive industry?

    Please see the #MotorCareers roles on our Explore Job Roles page.

    What is an apprenticeship?

    An apprenticeship is paid employment combined with structured training in a specific field. An apprenticeship will give a broad understanding of the industry and the workplace whilst learning and gaining a qualification within an Apprenticeship Framework.  For the new Apprenticeship Standards (England only) completion of a successful apprenticeship instead leads to an Apprenticeship Certificate.

    What is the new Apprenticeship Levy?

    The Government has introduced the Apprenticeship Levy as a new way for employers to contribute to apprenticeship funding with the aim of increasing the productivity, quantity and quality of apprenticeships in England. See here for more information on this and the new Apprenticeship Standards.

    What are the new Apprenticeship Standards?

    The new Apprenticeship Standards (England only) have been developed by employer groups in the industry to show what an apprentice will be doing in their job role and the skills that will be required of them.  The government have introduced the Apprenticeship Standards to give students more choice as well as giving employers an increased input into their future workforce.

    Typically an Apprenticeship Standard will focus on a number of gateways and an end-point assessment with an approved assessment organisation. See here for more information on the new Apprenticeship Standards.

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