Panel Technician Apprenticeship

Volkswagen Group (VWG) is one of the UK’s largest car retailers encompassing premium brands such as Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Volkswagen, TPS, Volkswagen Group Paint and Body and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Our network of Volkswagen Group approved Paint and Body centres delivers a first class service to customers using teams of highly trained experts and the same paint, parts and materials that are used at our factories.

Our apprenticeship programme gives you the opportunity to become part of this network, working within an approved body shop and receiving world class training from our industry experts.

Vehicle Damage Panel Technicians specialise in repairing or replacing damaged panels on our customer’s vehicles.

Over the course of the apprenticeship you will develop the skills to prepare a vehicle for a Paint Technician by repairing, replacing, and preparing accident damaged body panels utilising special tools and procedures to Volkswagen Group standards.

· Assessing the level of damage to a vehicle and choosing to either repair or replace panels.

· Removing damaged panels.

· Repairing damaged chassis and panels.

· Keeping logs of work carried out and informing customers of any additional works.

· Maintaining a clean and safe work environment.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, hardworking individual to join our team and embark on a long term career, with excellent earning and progression opportunities once you complete your apprenticeship.

Training provided

Training will be delivered using a combination of virtual classroom remote learning and face-to-face block release weeks at our state-of-the-art training centre.

Successful applicants must be prepared to travel to the Inspiro Learning Centre, in Doncaster, to complete their apprenticeship training. All training-related costs are fully covered as part of the programme, including travel, accommodation, and meals.

In the workplace, your personal, dedicated mentor will support your continued learning as you apply the skills and knowledge you have gained through the remote sessions and at the Inspiro Learning Centre.

This is a fully rounded training experience where you will build life skills that last and gain both apprenticeship qualifications and brand certifications.

On successful completion of the three-year apprenticeship programme, you will receive the following qualification (or the equivalent qualification for your devolved nation):

· Level 3 Vehicle Damage Panel Technician Apprenticeship

• Brand certifications

Desired skills

Our ideal Vehicle Damage Panel Technician will have an eye for detail and perfection with the passion to deliver excellent service for our customers.

We are looking for people who are passionate about our industry and our brand. Some of the personal skills that you should think about showing us in your application are:

· Enthusiasm and willingness to learn

· Teamwork

· Strong communication

· Customer Service

· Interest in vehicle engineering

Future prospects

Volkswagen Group (VWG) is one of the UK’s largest car retailers encompassing premium brands such as Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Volkswagen, TPS, Volkswagen Group Paint and Body and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. This network of retailers spans the UK, providing a wide range of career opportunities.

Once your apprenticeship is complete, you will continue your learning journey and you will have the opportunity drive your career forward. Some of our apprentices have gone on to become team leaders and managers within the retail network or even joined our team at Head Office in Milton Keynes.

Minimum entry requirements

GCSE grades 9 – 4 (A – C) or equivalent in any three subject area.

In Scotland, applicants must have or be predicted to achieve Scottish National 5 Grades A - C or above in any three subjects.

'Equivalent' grades include:

· BTEC first diplomas and certificates

· OCR Nationals

· Key Skills Level 2

· NVQs

· Essential Skills (Wales)

· Functional Skills Level 2

· Core Skills (Scotland)

We accept predicted grades and conditional offers can be made based on predicted grades

Please note

As part of our commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, all applications are automatically anonymised by our recruitment system. This is with the aim of realising our ambition to have a workforce that is reflective of the community we serve and eliminating unconscious bias, allowing employees to be appointed based on their talent, skills, and experiences regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic.

English and Maths guidance from the government changed on 11th February 2025. This employer wishes to support upskilling in both English and Maths by exception and as such the entry grade criteria as advertised still applies.

The closing date for this vacancy is 25/06/2026 and interviews are expected to be held week commencing 06/07/2026. We reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a sufficient number of applications. We therefore advise candidates to submit their applications as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Please do not contact the retailer directly. Inspiro Learning carry out the full recruitment service for this employer. Due to the high number of applications, we cannot provide a timescale on when you are likely to receive a response. As most of our roles are recruited for on an ongoing basis, we will contact you if you are successful at progressing to the next step. It is not possible for us to contact every applicant individually. If you have not heard back on a specific vacancy but find another opportunity that is of interest to you, we welcome an additional application.

Job Types: Full-time, Apprenticeship

Pay: From £320.00 per week

Work Location: In person