Auto Repair

Name: Kirsten MacDonald
Title: Group Apprenticeship Scheme Field Supervisor for traineeships 
Company: Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC)


Although always interested in cars, Kirsten MacDonald was a late starter in the automotive industry. "I did work experience at a local garage in year 10 but decided not to go ahead with an apprenticeship. I worked as a shop assistant until I was about 22 years old when I decided I wanted to get into the automotive industry." 

"Through TAFE I started a Certificate in Automotive Mechanics and, at the same time, applied for apprenticeship positions. I ended up doing my four-year mechanics apprenticeship through the VACC Group Apprenticeship Scheme, which gave me a good grounding because it lead to me being a field supervisor for the same scheme."

"I always planned to progress in the automotive industry so I looked at what was available, applied for my current position and was lucky enough to get it. Now my job is looking after trainees as they progress through the Group Apprenticeship Scheme. It involves anything from recruiting trainees, placing them with host employers, booking them into TAFE and monitoring them throughout their traineeship."

"We have trainees and school-based trainees doing panel beating, spray painting, auto electrical, spare parts interpreters and mechanics in general and heavy stream, including farm machinery and road transport. They go to four different host employers over their four-year course so that they get experience in a variety of work situations." 

Kirsten worked with apprentices for a year and now uses that experience with trainees. She found several unique challenges and ultimately some very satisfying rewards. "Probably the main challenge I face is securing positions for the trainees. Finding employers willing to take on a trainee can occasionally be difficult, particularly in some of the regional areas."

"But I've developed good working relationships with people in these areas and that's a really good part of the job. I get to meet a range of new people and see a different side of the automotive industry other than tools and working on cars."

Through her role Kirsten understands what subjects are needed to help secure a traineeship or  apprenticeship. "English and maths are very important, as is physics, which plays a big part in the hands-on aspect of automotive work. A lot of schools now offer a very helpful course called Auto VET (Vocational Education and Training), which offers specific automotive VCE subjects over years 11 and 12, that acts like a pre-apprenticeship course." 

After settling into her new role Kirsten is now looking forward to gaining further experience and knowledge. The most rewarding aspect of the role is working with these young people from the start of their training, assisting them over any hurdles they come across until they come out the other end with a qualification, and knowing where they are going"



Click here to learn more about apprenticeships, like the one that Kirsten did and also about the VACC group scheme.