Plunket College of Further Education offers a Motor Vehicle Pre Apprenticeship course and a Motor Vehicle Maintenance Course with full QQI Level 5 accreditation. The courses are designed to give students a valuable insight into vehicle mechanics, as well as a broad base of other knowledge and skills. The college is supported and funded by City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB) and SOLAS. A key element of course, is a programme of work experience placements in workshops.

Course Lecturer Robert Ledwith says that the work experience element is vital in giving students a real feel for the industry and can help them make a better informed decision about whether motor vehicle maintenance is the right career path for them. Robert comments, “We have developed links with many mechanical workshop businesses over the years and they have been very good in providing one day a week work placements as part of the course.” He adds, “The students love the fact that they are getting on the ground experience in an actual workshop and it gives the employer the chance to get to know the student, perhaps with a view to offering them and apprenticeship in the future.”

Robert says lots of preparation goes in to developing work placement links and preparing the student for their placement. Assisting with this, is college Principal Adrian Delaney and Vice-Principal, Elaine O'Sullivan, who ensure, for example, that all students have appropriate health and safety gear, PPE and the right awareness to enter the workshop environment.

One of the biggest champions of the work experience programme is Bus Eireann. Bus Eireann takes on approximately 30 apprentice heavy vehicle mechanics each year and Apprenticeship Programme Manager, David Poynton Rowley, says that the Plunket College work experience programme has been a great help in candidate selection. He comments, “We have taken many work experience students from Plunket College over the years and found the programme to be very rewarding for all parties. It provides a great opportunity for the students to experience the workshop environment and get a taste of what a career would be like in the industry. We can also get to know the student and see if they would be suited to a career in our organisation.”

Irish Commercials is another company that has made extensive use of the Plunket College work experience programme. Elaine O'Brien is HR and Training Manager at the company and says she is always impressed with the quality of students that attend. She comments, “The students that come from Plunket College of Further Education always seem to be very enthusiastic, hard working and willing to learn. We are delighted with the programme, as it gives the students great experience and a real feel for what goes on in a HGV workshop. It also gives us a chance to assess potential candidates for apprenticeship roles.”  

One of the students that has completed work experience at Irish Commercials, is Alexander Fazylov a Motor Vehicle Maintenance, Pre Apprenticeship student. He says, “The placement has given me a real insight into the workings of a HGV workshop, learning about the various aspects of the job that you might not always consider. I feel I was able to learn a huge amount from my placement, whilst also making a practical contribution. It is definitely something I will consider as a long term career choice.”

Another company that has also taken many placement students is National Vehicle Distribution (NVD). Executive Recruiter at NVD, Rachel Coughlan says, “We find the work placement programme at Plunket College to be very rewarding and Robert and the team are a pleasure to deal with. The quality of candidates they send is really first class. They are knowledgeable, professional and very keen to learn. The experience we can provide is a great filter to make sure this is the right career choice for them and I am pleased to say in many cases, they do go on to have strong careers with the company.”

Motor Vehicle Maintenance, Pre Apprenticeship student Jason O'Reilly is someone who has found work experience at NVD to be very enlightening. He says, “It has been a really good experience letting me put the knowledge I have learned on the course to work in the real world. The team at NVD are great, making me feel accepted from day one and I feel I am making a genuine practical contribution.”

Of course the success of the Plunket College of Further Education work placement programme can only be maintained by finding new workshops willing to participate.  Robert says, “We are always keen to hear from garages and CV workshops able to provide work experience, or wanting to know more about the courses we offer. “

Any workshop willing to provide work experience or would like more information, please contact Robert Ledwith at Plunket College of Further Education on 01-837-1689.