A Haverhill garage owner has opened his workshop doors to five students from West Suffolk College, giving them hands-on training to go with their classroom studies. Dave Wilson, who runs Drive Green Vehicle Services on Homefield Road, first got in touch with the college about a year ago. The arrangement started with a student called Michaela and grew from there.
Two of the students, Bradley Johnson and William Chen, are 17 and 19 and both on Level 1 vehicle maintenance courses. Ahmet Ipek, 18, is working towards a Level 2 in car maintenance. Leo Nash, a 17-year-old on the Level 3 motor sport course, has been at the garage for four months and has moved into a paid part-time role. “I’ve seen growth in myself and I’ve gained a lot of knowledge,” he said. “Thanks to Dave – he is the reason the trade won’t die down.” Every full-time vocational student at the college, which is part of Eastern Education Group, must complete a work placement, and Wilson has encouraged other businesses to get involved.
The initiative comes as the motor trade faces a mounting skills gap. The Institute of the Motor Industry estimated in 2022 that 160,000 vacancies will need filling by 2031. Zoe Goody, a work placement officer with Eastern Education Group, described Wilson as “a great role model for our students and the industry” who goes above and beyond. Local residents looking for courses in vehicle maintenance can also access part-time provision at the college’s Haverhill Learning Centre in Provincial House on High Street.
Dave Wilson, who set up the garage five years ago, said the link with the college has been “really, really good” and that unless businesses help the younger generation move forward, the trade will struggle to attract new talent.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
