Like a lot of car nuts, you probably know a little more about what’s happening under the hood compared to a lot of other people. However, you still be hungry for knowledge, or a career that lets you work on cars every day. When many people hit these cravings, they start training as an auto mechanic. Here, we’ll look at some of the advanced skills you’ll be able to learn in the course of your apprenticeship.
First of all, engine rebuilding. At the start of your mechanic training, you’ll obviously be working on engines frequently to diagnose and repair various problems. After long enough, when your mentor is confident that you’re familiar enough with the anatomy, you’ll be able to move onto something more advanced. You should be flattered when you move onto this; a tiny mistake in engine rebuilding can cost the auto shop a lot of money! If you do well in the preliminary stages, you’ll eventually be taught to put engines together, fine-tune them, and optimise their all-round performance. I’m sure you’ll agree that these are handy skills to have! If you want to work for large, powerful hot-rods, then engine rebuilding is a pretty essential skill to have.
Next up, we have a skill which has only really become part of the auto body trade in recent years. Computer controls are another big part of most modern mechanic’s courses. More and more vehicles are becoming more reliant on digital tech to remain safe and functional. As such, auto shops are now having to deal with an increasing amount of computer related issues. While lifts, tire changers and vehicle exhaust removal systems are all part of the job, the computers you’re going to be using may end up being the biggest challenge for you. You’ll be using fairly advanced programs to analyse a car’s emissions, optimise its alignment or do a whole host of other things. As more and more of these systems are being found throughout the industry, it’s becoming increasingly important for new mechanics to familiarise themselves with them.
Finally, painting and refinishing. I know that for a lot of you, this is going to be the most exciting part of your training as a mechanic. I know of a few people who retrained in auto repairs just because they once saw a particularly beautiful paint job. The refinishing aspect to a mechanic’s training will give you a chance to be a part of that magic! There are many auto shop training centres which run collision reconditioning programs. Through this, you’ll learn about all the different aspects of vehicle repair following a collision. Obviously there are a lot of aspects to this, but one skill that will be passed onto you is reparative paint. Seeing a car that’s had an accident retouched so that it looks brand new is a real spectacle!
If you’re wired like some of us, I’m sure this post got you very excited! These are just a handful of the advanced skills you’ll learn working under a mechanic. Do your own research and explore all an apprenticeship can offer!
