Ten years ago, Joe Stevenson was studying a Vehicle Maintenance Apprenticeship at Bridgwater & Taunton College. A decade later he is an award-winning business owner and recently visited the College to speak to the next generation of mechanical experts.
Presenting to a room of 16-20 year old apprentice technicians, Joe explained what he had done since College and where the skills he learnt during his apprenticeship have taken him.
Having completed his apprenticeship, Joe was unsure in which direction he wanted to go. After working in a restaurant for a while he joined the Army and was sent to Kenya and around Europe where he utilised the mechanical skills that he had learnt at College.
He then returned to England and began working in a garage. It was at this time he came across WhoCanFixMyCar online and after using it to generate work for his boss, he realised he could go solo due to the amount of business available on the platform.
Joe now runs his own business, Delilahs Mobile Mechanics, and has been so successful that in 2016 he won the WhoCanFixMyCar Best Mobile Technician Award.
Joe explained the purpose of his visit and the message he wanted to convey to current automotive students,
“It's great to come back and talk to people who might be unsure about their future. The automotive aftermarket is a tough industry to work in and I have to work extremely hard to run my own business but it is incredibly satisfying. There is a huge opportunity for digitally savvy technicians because there is so much work waiting to be claimed online. All you have to do is reach out and grab it.”
Bridgwater & Taunton College provides practical and academic training at our specialist automotive workshops. Students are able to apply their skills while working on major engineering projects and have contributed to the success of the College's motor racing team with their work on a car which competes in national competitions.
To find out more about any of our Automotive courses click here or call the Information & Guidance Team on 01278 441234.