Apprentice mechanic Sophie is on a mission to encourage other young women to join the automotive industry. “I did the automotive course at school, and I was the only girl. I went the second year and was the only girl again!”
Automotive Industry
The automotive industry is fast-paced, innovative, and full of exciting career opportunities.
Ready to jump-start your career?
career opportunities
Some potential career options include:
- Light or heavy vehicle technician (service vehicles, performing diagnostic tests to determine appropriate repairs)
- Collision repair technician (repair damaged vehicle bodies, including dents, scratches and rust)
- Automotive refinisher (prepare and apply paint to restore vehicle bodies)
- Automotive electrician (diagnose, repair, and maintain vehicle electrical systems, including wiring, lighting, ignition, and electronic control units).
StartUp—school micro-credential programme
If you're still a student, ask your school about StartUp®, MITO's secondary school programme for the automotive industry.
StartUp offers students the opportunity to work one day a week in a workshop, earn micro-credentials approved by NZQA, and credits towards NCEA.
You will learn all about vehicle systems, from engines, suspension, brakes, and more!
It consists of two strands:
- Ignition
- Accelerate (choose between automotive engineering or collision repair).
You must complete Ignition before enrolling in Accelerate.
Finding a job
Apprenticeships are training done on-the-job, so you can earn while you learn and kick off your career without student loan debt!
Once you leave school, you can start an apprenticeship, but you'll need to find a job in the industry first.
on the job stories
“Chase your dreams. It doesn’t matter what they are — how big or how small — just go for it. And remember that you’ll never hit a home run unless you swing the bat."
Still at school, Bailey joined the gateway programme and was offered a placement at Straight-N-Paint in Rangiora, completing one day a week in the workshop through MITO’s StartUp® programme.