HGV Technician Review

I work as a technician in our Motor Transport department here at the airport. Due to the wide variety of vehicles that enter our workshop, no two days are the same. However, generally, a typical day would involve being assigned to a bus that may have come in for an inspection, an MOT preparation, a service or because a fault has been reported on it that needs diagnosing. Sometimes, however, I may be assigned to one of the plethora of other vehicles that I see on a daily basis that you simply wouldn't see anywhere else; such as high-loaders, EBT's, tugs, snow equipment, motorised steps and many, many more. Currently, I almost exclusively get placed with a qualified technician who I work with in carrying out the job, which may sometimes involve going airside and performing roles out there, such as towbar (that connect the tug to the aircraft) inspection and services.

I have developed a myriad of skills during the relatively short time whilst working in my role. My colleagues who I get to work with on a daily basis have a truly unbelievable amount of knowledge, skill and experience which I more than appreciate gaining from. Due to my line of work, even some of the most simplest of tasks - such as removing and refitting bus wheels - require a fair share of skill and experience simply due to their size and weight. Also, with engineering it's not always about simply getting the job completed or in a timely fashion; getting the job completed neatly, cleanly, reliably, precisely and to a certain high standard is an area that has developed immensely for me during my short time here. Furthermore, the seemingly-endless amount of tools that are required for the vastly different jobs you may find yourself performing also require a good degree of skill to use professionally, safely and efficiently. This may involve learning how to handle a sledgehammer properly to something as simple as how to crack tight nuts off without damaging said nut or yourself in some manner.

I never truly realised before joining in this role just how much I enjoy and appreciate working as a technician. It has been my dream since I was rather young to work in this line of industry but to be able to work for such a grand and proud company working on such a wide-range of vehicles that very few workshops in the entire country get to work on to the extent that we do brings me a great degree of pride and satisfaction. I truly appreciate the opportunity that has been handed to me and even after 18 months of working here, I still find it rather surreal. Granted, there are times of stress and pressure but these are drowned out and washed away with ease when I'm able to make a difference on helping to get a vehicle fixed and returned to the client.

There have been some hiccups along the road thus far in regards to college due to the course that we are on being an entirely new one that is still being tinkered with. However, despite the setbacks, me and the other apprentice here have ploughed on through and are still on track with passing our qualification. MAG themselves have struggled somewhat in understanding how to handle apprentices since they haven't had any in my workshop for the past 15 to 20 years but they too have come on leaps and bounds and we now have better discussions with out apprentice managers and our bosses with a better focus on what we should be doing in the workshop.

I believe the support I receive is truly second-to-none. Gone are the times of apprentices in workshops being treated poorly, with my bosses being very understanding and supportive of what is happening. The technicians I get the pleasure of working with also go out of their way to teach and demonstrate things to me, which I truly appreciate. I have already been placed on an electrical course and forklift licence course during my relatively-short time here which has helped greatly in my line of work. My apprentice mangers are also always on hand to help deal with any problems that I have and we also meetup monthly to discuss apprentice-related matters and any problems that we may have. Any issues that I do have can confidently be raised with either them or my bosses who will immediately attempt to resolve said issue/s.

I receive a great deal of support from my training provider in regards to my qualification. My tutor in college spends time with my in the morning helping me with my online job write-ups and with any issues I have with them. He then spends time with us all through topic-related booklets, sharing his vast amount of knowledge and experience with us and then sometimes in the afternoon we may go in to workshop where he continues to share said knowledge and experience on a more practical basis. Also, my assessor is on hand to answer any online e-portfolio queries that I may have. He is also always there if I need a job posting or need one signing off and he also periodically visits both me and the other apprentice in the workshop to catch up on how we've been doing thus far.

I feel that progressing through the qualification is definitely helping me perform better in my role however due to the borderline-endless amount of knowledge that you can gain in this industry, it's rather hard to tell thus far due to the fact that I may learn about the cooling system of a vehicle one week in college but it may be many, many months after when I get to apply that knowledge that I have learnt. I have undoubtedly learnt a lot from visiting college and have also performed jobs in the workshop there that I would very rarely see in the workshop here at the airport. I would struggle to fault the training that I have received from college but simply put, there is so much to learn and there are so many components/systems that may go wrong with a vehicle that it's been rather difficult for me to tie the two (learning the theory side at college and applying said theory at work) so far.

Every month or so all of the apprentices meetup to discuss apprentice-related matters and events going forward, I also receive the opportunity to volunteer in the local community, such as visiting schools and helping out at a local church. I also receive the opportunity every so often to help out around the airport, such as over at the viewing park helping to setup the venue for an upcoming event.

Yes

It's a well-established company with a set amount of goals and high degree of development that they want to achieve. They are constantly looking to grow and expand which is always satisfying to be apart of. This also guarantees good job security, which along with the generous salary, bonuses, training and perks that they offer makes you feel truly appreciated. The pride that I still get when telling people that I work for Manchester Airport, even after 18 months, still hasn't faded the slightest and due to the sort of business that it is, the sort of work you'll be carrying out will commonly be highly specialised and the sort of jobs you simply wouldn't find anywhere else. Plus, the people that make up Manchester Airport themselves are some of the kindest and nicest people you will meet and make you feel that you are apart of being one big family.

If you're still studying whether it be school, college or university, keep ploughing forward and try to achieve the best results you can. Be confident in yourself, show enthusiasm, show that you truly want to be apart of the team. Always go that one extra mile; put that bit more effort in your CV, make sure you wear smart, formal attire on the day of the interview even if nobody else is doing so. Try to show an interest in the line of work you're trying to fit in to. If you are fortunate to join the team as an apprentice, always listen to what you're mentors are saying. They may have decades upon decades of experience so make sure to always listen they're telling you and follow what they do, even the smallest of things such as how they may resolve a certain small issue. Gain knowledge where ever you can, ask questions and be inquisitive; it will soon all come together and will help you to develop greatly in your role.