When Connor was younger, he would watch his dad fix cars on the drive at home and gradually started to help as he got old enough. This hands-on experience sparked a deep interest in the world of motor vehicle.
Connor’s passion naturally led to studying a full-time motor vehicle course at Stockton Riverside College. This was where he met Dave Hobson, course leader for motor vehicle, and the wider motor vehicle team who offered the support needed to begin making strides towards starting a career in the industry.
Connor said: “When I was studying my course at college, Dave told us about local employers and Vasstech was mentioned. I decided to walk into Vasstech to see if it were somewhere I could get some work experience. I took my dad with me as I was only 15 at the time. They agreed to give me a shot and offered me a week’s placement at their garage.”
It was after his week work experience when Vasstech had been so impressed by Connor’s passion and enthusiasm that they offered him an opportunity to do a Level 2 Autocare Apprenticeship with them, marking the beginning of Connor’s professional journey.
Abi Ankers, the branch manager at Vasstech, spoke highly of Connor and his work ethic. “It is important for us to shape our workforce with the company values in mind. Our customers are so important to us, service and safety is everything.
“We have been very lucky securing Connor as our apprentice. He has a good mentality and is keen to learn. Connor helped with collecting customer cars in the beginning, which is a service that sets the tone for our customers from the first point of contact. He has advanced so much over the years and has become invaluable to us during busy periods with keeping on top of demand.”
Connor is thriving in the role and growing in confidence. So much so that when asked about his favourite job to date, he told us he likes to take on bigger jobs and spoke of replacing an EGR (exhaust gas recirculation valve) on a relatively new Crafter van, a task that some other team members have yet to tackle.
Abi admitted, “I often have to remind myself that Connor is an apprentice. He has already become such an asset to the team.”
For Connor, his next steps will be to continue his training with Vasstech and progress onto the Level 3 Motor Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship. In his spare time, he and his dad will be working on fixing up a track car to drive. He even admitted to having big dreams of opening his own garage in California one day.
On his decision to study at Stockton, Connor told us: “Stockton Riverside College was my college of choice and without Dave, I would not be where I am now. The new motor vehicle facility has improved so much, it is a good place to learn.”
Abi seconded that by saying: “Hopefully the new facilities at Stockton will drive more interest in the industry and create a broad talent pool of keen prospective employees.”
Dave Hobson said: “Our motor vehicle team at the college work hard to support new talent in the industry. It’s a team effort and we are all proud to see our students like Connor taking their next steps into employment and receiving such high praise from Vasstech.”
Sam Colman, business development coordinator at the Etc., said: “The facilities at Stockton set us apart from other colleges and we would encourage employers to get in touch with us for a tour of the motor vehicle set up and a discussion around skills shortages and recruitment support for businesses.”
To reach out to Sam about business support, email samantha.colman@the-etc.ac.uk.
For more information about starting an apprenticeship, visit our apprenticeships page: https://www.stockton.ac.uk/apprenticeships.
