Jason Austin

Location: Canterbury
Business Unit: BT Fleet
Joined: September 2003

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Whenever I tell people I'm doing a BT Apprenticeship, straight away they think I'm mending phones.  I'm actually a Motor Vehicle Technician, working on maintenance and repair so those BT vans you see all the time keep running smoothly. I've always liked working with cars - I guess my Dad got me into it really. The Apprenticeship seemed like a great way to start a career in something I actually enjoy.

To start with I was put with a mentor which made everything a lot less intimidating. He'd set me off on tasks, teaching me the basics before moving me on to more complex things. All the senior blokes looked out for me, too. They'd often give me a shout, ask me over to help them so I could learn about a job I hadn't done before.

I think the best thing about working on the BT fleet is the range of jobs. I've worked on all types of vans, cars and generators. But it's not all engines. We work with electrics, specialist racks and fittings for the vehicles. It's all part of being a BT technician. You wouldn't get that in other garages. 

Things have moved on since I started. I'm now qualified with a NVQ level 3, a BTEC national and I'm a working member of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).  I'm keen to carry on learning though and, as I've now been given a bit more responsibility around the workshop, I'm hoping to start a management training course. So it's all good news really. I suppose the only bad bit is that my mates bring their cars round and expect me to fix whatever's broken.