South Gloucestershire Council
Apprenticeship - Mechanic Apprentice
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
How you'll make a difference
As a Heavy Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician Apprentice, you will play a key role in supporting the maintenance, servicing, repair and inspection of the council’s diverse fleet of vehicles and equipment.
Working alongside experienced mechanics, you will help ensure that all vehicles, including those owned by the council as well as those from partner organisations and external customers, are maintained and tested to the highest standards, and in a timely, efficient manner. Your contribution will be vital in keeping essential services operating safely, reliably and effectively.
This is an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a busy workshop environment, where you will develop practical skills, technical knowledge and confidence as part of a supportive and professional team.
What you will be doing
Working closely with qualified mechanics, you will support them in carrying out mechanical and electrical inspections, maintenance and repair work across a wide range of council vehicles.
- Learning how to prepare vehicles for MOT testing, you will identify any defects, carry out necessary repairs and complete routine servicing and inspections.
- You will gain experience working on larger and more complex vehicles and equipment, including 26-tonne gritters, tankers, buses, tippers, vans, cars and plant machinery.
- This hands-on role involves working both indoors and outdoors, sometimes in physically demanding conditions. You will use compressed air power tools, work in confined spaces such as inspection pits under vehicles and climb ladders and gantries.
What we need from you
You will ideally hold a minimum of GCSE A*-C/4-9 or an equivalent qualification in English and maths or be willing to undertake and gain Functional Skills Level 2 in English and maths as part of the apprenticeship.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
- It is essential that you have the drive and willingness to learn new things and be committed to gaining your qualification.
- You should have an interest in vehicles and a desire for this to become a career.
- You must meet the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) eligibility requirements. These include:
- be aged 16 years or over
- be an EEA citizen (with Right to Work in the UK) and not be in any other kind of full-time education (including being enrolled on any other apprenticeship programme).
What you need to know
- Face to face Interviews will be held on 5th and 6th August 2026.
- All candidates that successfully reach the interview stages will be required to provide a 10-minute presentation as part of the recruitment process. Candidates who do not provide a presentation at interview will not progress through the recruitment process.
- Throughout your 3 year apprenticeship, we will allocate you a workplace mentor to give you guidance and support in completing your Level 3 Heavy Vehicle Service and Maintenance technician apprenticeship, which will involve block release learning at City of Bristol College, Parkway Campus, Motor Vehicle Technology Centre at Parkway, New Road, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, BS34 8SF.
- This is a 36-month limited term contract for the duration of the apprenticeship programme.
- As part of this training route, you will need to undertake a basic skills assessment as part of the selection process. These will be emailed to you by the training provider, City of Bristol College.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
The salary for this apprenticeship is set at the current National Minimum Wage:
| Age | Hourly rate | Annual salary |
|---|---|---|
| 21+ | £12.71 | £24,454 |
| 18-20 | £10.85 | £20,875 |
| 16-17 | £8.00 | £15,392 |
The apprenticeship starts on 5th October 2026. Therefore, we will require for the successful person to start employment with us during September 2026.
How a career at South Gloucestershire Council is different
As part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing support and you will have access to a range of staff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities.
We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.
Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here.
- We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of.
- We're planning for the future; building and improving the roads, railways, schools, green spaces, and houses.
- We’re providing essential services across our communities to ensure they are safe and well maintained.
- We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.
We’re making a difference, be part of it!
To view the full job description, please click this link: Mechanic Apprenticeship Advert June 2026
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills