Apprentice Test Technician

You'll work within the vehicle emissions and climatic testing department at LRW Engineering Associates LTEC facility, occasionally assisting with non-vehicle testing activities at other MK business sites.

What will the apprentice be doing?

As an Apprentice Test Technician at LRW Engineering Associates, your responsibilities will include:

• Preparing vehicles for test including inspections, fuel preparation, battery charging, installation of instrumentation and mechanical fitting of components such as aftertreatment systems and ECU’s.
• Running, maintaining, and diagnosing faults on chassis dynamometers (2wd and 4wd)
• Emissions and Particle Analysers, and HVAC plant equipment in an efficient and proactive way
• High precision driving of a wide variety of customer vehicles.
• Testing vehicles in extreme temperature conditions and modes to verify compliance to worldwide regulations and legislation (CFR 1066, WLTP, Euro 6 & 7)
• Undertake initial data analysis to verify results and integrity of tests conducted and feedback concerns
• Liaise with members of in-house and customer staff in a professional manner
• Maintaining a test facility including equipment calibration tasks, calibration gas bottles, test consumables, workshop tooling and equipment
• Follow business HSE policy and ‘Safe System of Work’ (SSoW) practices to high voltage systems
• Any other tasks that are reasonably assigned to you by your line manager, including development activities, which are within your capability and grade

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

Course Contents

• Manage risk and the application of Health and Safety within their area of responsibility
• Communicate effectively, listen, question, support and mentor others, whilst promoting an attention to detail throughout the propulsion development process
• Manage checks on test or build systems and problem solve where issues arise
• Demonstrate critical and analytical reasoning, robust planning and task coordination
• Lead the setting up of equipment and ancillary systems used for build or test and where applicable carry out any required modifications
• Ensure instrumentation captures high quality data in a systematic and repeatable way
• Carry out checks, measurement and calibration activities following approved procedures and processes
• Comply with internal processes and procedures to ensure equipment is fit for purpose, maintained correctly and in calibration
• Monitor and validate test or build data quality
• Implement proposals for test or build plan modifications based on quality and quantitative data
• Prioritise test or build output to maximise efficient use of specialist equipment
• Manage all internal and external customer needs throughout test or build execution
• Develop procedures and processes necessary to meet all relevant standards and requirements, i.e. legal & code of practice
• Guide and develop other team members
• Create internal test or build instructions and process documents.
• Support the development of proposals to develop new/alternative technologies
• Lead the preparation and installation activities for propulsion units under test
• Lead the testing activity ensuring the test is carried out in line with manufacturer instructions and/or company standard operating procedures
• Check and monitor the test to ensure that it is carried out under the specified conditions set out in the test script/specification
• Ensure the servicing schedules and maintenance of propulsion testing equipment is carried out in line with manufacturer instructions and/or company standard operating procedures
• Lead the diagnosis and analysis of any faults found on propulsion units under test
• Check that all preparation activities to support the prototype engine build development programme have been carried out correctly
• Ensure that the specified components are available for the build and that they are in a usable condition
• Lead the build of the prototype/ development engine ensuring it has been built to the correct specification and is ready for testing
• Lead the diagnosis and analysis of any faults identified during the development engine build
• Lead and support modification activities to improve engine build reliability and performance
• Lead the validation process for tooling and build deviations and associated equipment/instrumentation