Halfords Watford - Autocare Technician Apprenticeship

Summary

Drive your career forward with this exciting apprenticeship opportunity.

Our Autocare Technicians/Mechanics are involved in all aspects of maintenance and repair, from routine servicing to complex diagnostics and repairs to our customers' vehicles.

Wage

£16,640 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Training course

Autocare technician (level 2)

Hours

Monday – Friday. 0830 – 1730. Possibility of Saturday work and/or shifts. Working week will be confirmed on application.

40 hours a week

Start date

Tuesday 1 September 2026

Duration

2 years

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

The service department is vital to the success of our business. From right first-time fixes, to delivering excellent customer service, our Autocare Technicians/Mechanics play a pivotal role in delighting our customers and encouraging their continued loyalty. 

Every day is different within the Service department. As an Autocare Technician/Mechanics apprentice, some of your duties will include:

• Use of diagnostic equipment to identify vehicle faults.
• Testing of parts and systems to ensure correct working.
• Following checklists to ensure all critical parts of vehicles are examined.
• Carrying out bumper-to-bumper overview, service, and inspection.
• Maintenance of electronic systems, including on- board entertainment systems.
• Completion of legible and accurate paperwork for the customers and the centre's records
• Maintenance of a clean and tidy work environment.

You will have the opportunity to work with a wide range of products, including traditional, hybrid and electronic engines. From heritage vehicles to leading-edge modern technology, our range will provide you with a varied technical training experience to build your skills as an Autocare Technician/Mechanic.

Desired skills & Experience

Our ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate skills in logic and problem-solving. You should be someone who pays attention to detail and is committed to completing this apprenticeship programme.

We are looking for people who have some experience in the motor industry, either with formal training at Level 1 or having worked at or within a similar organisation. You should be 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

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.

A Level 1 in Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair is desirable.

Where you'll work

Unit 3
Fisher Industrial Estate, Wiggenhall Road
Watford
WD18 0FN

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

INSPIRO LEARNING LIMITED

Training course

Autocare technician (level 2)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Comply with health and safety procedures in the workplace in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance.
• Prepare the vehicle and working area before the work activity. For example, remove or mitigate slip and trip hazards.
• Maintain and restore the work area during and on completion of the activity.
• Store, maintain, including calibration checks, and return tools and equipment to storage.
• Access vehicle technical data to inform inspections and make judgements on wear and serviceability.
• Comply with environmental and sustainability procedures, regulations, standards, and guidance. Segregate resources for reuse, recycling, and disposal.
• Apply vehicle safety inspection and routine maintenance procedures using vehicle specific data on car, car derived van or light goods vehicle.
• Select and use tools and equipment, mechanical and electrical measuring tools, and diagnostic equipment.
• Remove, repair and replace vehicle tyre and balance wheel assemblies on car, car derived van or light goods vehicle. For example, ultra-low profile, directional, asymmetric, run-flat tyres.
• Inspect, remove, and replace of parts or components in cars, car derived vans, or light goods vehicles for the following: steering systems and suspension systems, braking systems, emission systems, air conditioning systems, battery and charging systems, fluid and filtration systems.
• Apply state-of-health condition monitoring tests to high voltage batteries and chargers for electrified cars, car derived vans, or light goods vehicles.
• Apply four-wheel geometry checks and adjustments to cars, car derived vans, and light goods vehicles.
• Apply safe working practices and procedures to isolate electrified vehicles for maintenance.
• Record vehicle service maintenance, parts replacement, or repair.
• Apply customer service principles and organisational customer care practices. For example, identifying customer and vehicle needs, resolve low level customer complaints, make recommendations to customers based on results of inspection, maintenance, or repair of vehicles, customer payment transactions and organisational sales processes.
• Provide quotation of cost and order automotive parts, products, and consumables applicable to the vehicle.
• Apply procedures for stock and parts storage: ordering, checking and stock rotation.
• Apply organisational sales processes. For example, show and tell, features and benefits, consultative selling, mini closing and closing.
• Apply team working principles.
• Comply with equity, diversity, and inclusion guidance.
• Communicate with others verbally, for example customers, suppliers, and colleagues.
• Communicate in writing, for example with internal and external customers, colleagues, and managers.
• Use information and digital technology systems. Comply with GDPR and cyber security.
• Complete and record learning and development activities.
• Apply procedures to check and replace fluids, and filtration parts.
• Comply with health and safety procedures in the workplace in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance.
• Prepare the vehicle and working area before the work activity. For example, remove or mitigate slip and trip hazards.
• Maintain and restore the work area during and on completion of the activity.
• Store, maintain, including calibration checks, and return tools and equipment to storage.
• Access vehicle technical data to inform inspections and make judgements on wear and serviceability.
• Comply with environmental and sustainability procedures, regulations, standards, and guidance. Segregate resources for reuse, recycling, and disposal.
• Apply vehicle safety inspection and routine maintenance procedures using vehicle specific data on car, car derived van or light goods vehicle.
• Select and use tools and equipment, mechanical and electrical measuring tools, and diagnostic equipment.
• Remove, repair and replace vehicle tyre and balance wheel assemblies on car, car derived van or light goods vehicle. For example, ultra-low profile, directional, asymmetric, run-flat tyres.
• Inspect, remove, and replace of parts or components in cars, car derived vans, or light goods vehicles for the following: steering systems and suspension systems, braking systems, emission systems, air conditioning systems, battery and charging systems, fluid and filtration systems.
• Apply state-of-health condition monitoring tests to high voltage batteries and chargers for electrified cars, car derived vans, or light goods vehicles.
• Apply four-wheel geometry checks and adjustments to cars, car derived vans, and light goods vehicles.
• Apply safe working practices and procedures to isolate electrified vehicles for maintenance.
• Record vehicle service maintenance, parts replacement, or repair.
• Apply customer service principles and organisational customer care practices. For example, identifying customer and vehicle needs, resolve low level customer complaints, make recommendations to customers based on results of inspection, maintenance, or repair of vehicles, customer payment transactions and organisational sales processes.
• Provide quotation of cost and order automotive parts, products, and consumables applicable to the vehicle.
• Apply procedures for stock and parts storage: ordering, checking and stock rotation.
• Apply organisational sales processes. For example, show and tell, features and benefits, consultative selling, mini closing and closing.
• Apply team working principles.
• Comply with equity, diversity, and inclusion guidance.
• Communicate with others verbally, for example customers, suppliers, and colleagues.
• Communicate in writing, for example with internal and external customers, colleagues, and managers.
• Use information and digital technology systems. Comply with GDPR and cyber security.
• Complete and record learning and development activities.
• Apply procedures to check and replace fluids, and filtration parts.

Training schedule

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 are required to travel to a centrally located training facility 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 the training 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 apprenticeship programme, you will receive the following:

• Level 2 Apprenticeship Standard in Autocare Technician
• Certificate in Automotive Refrigerant Handling
• Level 2 qualification for safe isolation of electric and hybrid vehicles
• Brand-specific certifications
• Progression towards Level 3 apprenticeship standard in Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair
  

What we offer:

·       Block release training

·       A full Halfords toolkit, uniform and work boots supplied

·       A mentor in your garage to support you through the apprenticeship

·       A 40 hour working week if you are under 18 or 44 hours per week if you are over 18

·       Permanent role upon successful completion of your apprenticeship

·       Continued development and training opportunities with Hybrid/Electric Vehicle and MOT training

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 4/C)
• Math's (grade 4/C)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Problem solving skills
• Logical
• Team working

Other requirements

The latest information on the Apprentice National Minimum Wage can be found at

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 11/02/25. This employer wishes to support upskilling in both English and Maths by exception and as such the entry grade criteria as advertised still applies.

An assessment centre will be held on Monday 27th July at our training facility in Dunstable (address will be given upon invitation), with work trial dates to then be confirmed following the assessment day. 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.