Automotive Related Tafe Courses/apprenticeships

[R-SPEC]

Hello

after wasting 3 years of my life at uni i've decided to finally quit.

so i'm now searching for a new career, still in the automotive industry but more of a hands-on type of thing as the suit and tie crap just isn't for me.

i'm just curious to see if there's any people here doing short/tafe courses or apprenticeships etc

is there any good sites where can do a search?

any help/advice would be appreciated

thanks

[Jezza-gtR]

Hey mate, I'm currently doing a certificate 3 in automotive light vehicle at Kangan Batman Tafe in richmond. But I'm 17

Apprentice wages are horrible, and from what I've gathered fully qualified ain't that much better either. If you start in the trade can you live on 230-260 a week?

And there are lots of areas in the trade which is a good thing. If you wanted to do R&R (refit & and replace) a dealership would be good, modern cars, not to much hassle and good equipment. Smaller local workshops tend to not have the high range equipment and its allot harder work imo. I've worked in both types.

But if you have a good passion for cars and can listen and have patience then that is the best way in the trade. I've seen so many other apprentices who are just sh*t kickers and its no way to go if you have a passion for cars. I know I'm still young but i started when I was 15 and have been loving it ever since. There are also very nice incentives from the government. Tafe fee's covered. You can get up to $3500 tax free money to help you out. That is if you meet the requirements but there not that hard.

Have a browse through Box Hill's website. http://www.bhtafe.edu.au/index.htm They have alot of information on short courses, pre-apps and apprenticeships. Try other tafes as well. Swinburne, Kangan Batman.

Hope this helps mate all the best

Jesse

[marlon]

ive had a lot of advise saying to stay away from being a mechanic- mainly due to the low income.

[R-SPEC]

thanks heaps for that Jezza much appreciated

ive had a lot of advise saying to stay away from being a mechanic- mainly due to the low income.

yeah so have i

[Jezza-gtR]

No worries mate, if you have any more questions just ask i'll try to answer the best i can.

[LTHLRB]

im currently a 3rd year apprentice mechanic at ford.. i do enjoy the work, pay is very average.. or even crap. But i enjoy working with cars, schools payed for and iv learnt a crap load. My advice will be.. if you want to go mainstream you go with a dealership or something like that.. if you want to specialize you go straight to the root.. performance.

I wasnt fortunate enough to go performance.. so i started from the bottem and will be at the top soon enough

[R-SPEC]

No worries mate, if you have any more questions just ask i'll try to answer the best i can.

will do bud

Phil wat stopped you from going in a performance shop? guessing they ask for more background experience etc rght?

[dave1200]

I'm not sure what field you have just pulled out of but I'm a mechanical engineer and my job is a long way off the suit and tie crap. I wear a T-shirt and shorts to work and spend half my time on a computer using CAD and the other half in the workshop putting together the stuff I've designed and had made. I have learnt to weld, run a lathe and also a mill.

It may not be your area but it's just an example how you can actually get a good balance of both.

[ylwgtr2]

trouble is with mechanics is that anyone can buy a tool box and take a part off and put a part on....these days people will do anything to save themselves a dollar....if your good with your hands get into a niche market where the requirements for skill is high,start your own business and you wont go wrong

[blackrex]

As with Dave1200, look at doing a MechEng course at a TAFE (I'm currently doing the Adv.Dip. of Engineering Technology at RMIT) as they give you a much greater scope for employment.

[abu]

Have a look at doing something through VACC

They find you work, pay half your wage and you get Government grant for tools etc so you don't have to buy your own

They also send you to trade school for a week every month or something like that

Not sure on all the specifics but you should be able to find something on there website

http://www.vacc.com.au/ApprenticeshipsTrai...85/Default.aspx

[LTHLRB]

will do bud

Phil wat stopped you from going in a performance shop? guessing they ask for more background experience etc rght?

background experience.. only experience i had was work experience with bresciani racing.. I would love to work at a performance shop, but im not the type of person to do "apprentice work".. i like getting thrown in the deepend and taking the work head on

[R-SPEC]

ah fair enough

hehe i was doing 2nd year auto engineering at rmit but had to get out couldnt take it anymore.

dave1200 - that is actually what i would like to be doing but i cant see myself finishing uni.

im now thinking of getting away from auto/mech and get into either I.T or drafting

needa do some serious thinking cant waste any more time hehe

thanks all

[dave1200]

I guess it really depends on how much you want to do it. I don't think anybody entirely enjoys their uni experience but it's a means to an end. If you are thinking about IT or drafting then you are definitely confining yourself to an office job that is less hands on than what your automotive engineering career would have been.

[R32Big_boy]

yes and no dave. I am a draftsman and spend quite a lot of time out in the field. but i dare say i'm the exception not the norm.

When are you back from the states dave?