Tyre Fitter & Repair (Light Vehicle) Profile
I didn’t think I would end up working in the automotive industry – I always saw it as more of a hobby than an actual job prospect. After completing year 12, I was a bit unsure about what direction to head, so I started an apprenticeship as a sheet metal worker but I quickly lost interest. I knew I didn’t want to go on with it and I was looking for a change.
I made up my mind and decided the automotive industry is where I wanted to be. I guess I originally became involved in the industry through a friend, who was working as a tyre fitter at the time in a local garage. The whole industry always took my fancy, because I was always seeing people having a great time, enjoying what they do, and feeling rewarded at the end of a days work.
So I got into doing the same sort of thing as my mate, just working on the basics of tyre fitting and repair and have since managed to work my way up to where I am now. Now I can confidently work on almost any light vehicle that comes my way. It’s a good feeling knowing that I can overcome any challenge.
The work I do
Essentially, I am involved in the tyre fitting of passenger and light commercial industrial vehicles. My duties include inspection to determine preferred repair action, repairing tyres and tubes, selecting tyres and rims for particular vehicles and balancing of tyres and wheels. I also get involved in a bit of sales, warehousing and stock control.
Also over the past few years there is an enormous amount of technology in the job. Completing a wheel alignment is far more complex than in the past, so it doesn’t hurt to have some quality problem solving techniques, as well as good computer literacy.
My workplace
We have an enormous amount of room to manoeuvre in the workshop. The set-up is pretty efficient, and this usually allows us to turnover jobs really quickly. The biggest surprise is just how clean everything is. I always thought the workshop was a pretty dirty environment, but with all the OH&S regulations nowadays, we cannot afford to let anything slide. We have developed a really clean, friendly environment and I reckon it shows in everyone’s enthusiasm, both the employees and the customers.
We all sort of get a buzz out of work each day. This kind of stems from the personalities we have around the place. Generally throughout the entire automotive industry everyone is really enthusiastic, so everyone here gets along really well. We all tend to socialise a fair bit outside of work. I’ve made some really good friends through my involvement in this industry.
Education and training
I never got around to completing my sheet metal apprenticeship, and I
also did a few short courses in engineering and fibre glassing. So aside
from completing year 12, the only additional qualification I completed
was a Certificate II in Automotive (Mechanical – Tyre Fitter & Repair
Light), which until recently wasn’t available. This qualification
is actually very rewarding – it’s a nice reward for knowing
my trade well.
>> course/qualification
Why I love this industry…
The variety is this industry is simply enormous. Everyday I am lucky enough to work on up 10 or 20 different makes and models. Even when we do have the same cars come in, we will still come across entirely different problems. So everything is different; it isn’t the same boring stuff everyday. A challenge definitely exists!
I’m not entirely sure where my future is heading in this industry, except I know I will continue within this sector, maybe one day even owning a workshop. In all honesty, there are so many good things coming out of this business, especially the friendships, the enthusiasm, the rewards, and above all the variety.