Hagley Community College
Automotive Technician Kaihangarau Pūkaha Waka
Automotive technicians service and repair vehicles and their parts and systems.
Automotive technicians may do some or all of the following:
- check faults in vehicles, and work out what is causing them
- dismantle and rebuild, repair or replace engines, parts or systems
- service vehicles and change lubricants (such as oil), coolants (such as radiator coolant) and filters
- carry out Warrant of Fitness and Certificate of Fitness checks
- upgrade and modify vehicles
- interact with customers.
To do Warrant of Fitness or Certificate of Fitness checks you need to be approved as a vehicle inspector by the New Zealand Transport Agency.
Physical Requirements
Automotive technicians need to have good general health and good hand-eye co-ordination and hearing.
Useful Experience
Useful experience for automotive technicians includes:
- work on cars and other vehicles
- work in an automotive workshop.
Personal Qualities
Automotive technicians need to be:
- accurate, logical and patient
- safety-conscious
- alert, with an eye for detail
- able to provide good customer service and explain technical terms to customers.
Skills
Automotive technicians need to have knowledge of:
- vehicle engines, parts and systems
- vehicle electronic systems
- Warrant of Fitness and Certificate of Fitness regulations and safety standards
- health and safety standards in the workshop.
Conditions
Automotive technicians:
- usually work regular business hours, but may work shifts, weekends and be on call
- work in garages and workshops
- work in conditions that can be loud, dusty and dirty
- may travel locally to repair vehicles that have broken down.
Subject Recommendations
You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job, but NCEA Level 2 may be useful.
For Year 11 to 13 students, these programmes are a good way to gain industry experience and relevant skills:
- StartUp
- trades academies, STAR and Gateway.
These programmes may help you gain an apprenticeship, but do not reduce the amount of time it takes to complete it.
Automotive Technicians can earn around $26-$39 per hour.
Chances of getting a job as a Automotive Technician are good due to a shortage of people interested in this type of work.
Pay for automotive technicians varies depending on experience, the type of vehicle they specialise in, and the region they work in.
- Automotive technicians usually earn $26 to $39 an hour.
- Automotive technicians can earn $23 to $48 an hour.
- Foremen and very skilled automotive technicians can earn more than this.
Those running a business may also earn more than this, but their income depends on the success of their business.
Source: TEC research.
Automotive technicians may progress to become self-employed or set up their own businesses. With further training, qualified automotive technicians can become senior or master technicians.
Automotive technicians may move into management or customer service roles, or into related jobs such as automotive electrician.
Automotive technicians train and specialise in either light or heavy vehicles:
- Heavy Vehicle Automotive Technician
- Heavy vehicle automotive technicians service and repair heavy vehicles such as trucks, buses, bulldozers and tractors.
- Light Vehicle Automotive Technician
- Light vehicle automotive technicians service and repair light vehicles including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and outdoor power equipment such as lawnmowers or woodchippers.
Years Of Training
3-4 years of training usually required.You usually need to do an apprenticeship to become an automotive technician and a qualification may be useful.
You may need:
- to do an apprenticeship
- a New Zealand Certificate in Automotive Engineering (Level 3)
- a New Zealand Certificate in Heavy Automotive Engineering (Level 4)
- a New Zealand Certificate in Light Automotive Engineering (Level 4)
- experience in similar work
- a driver licence with a special-type vehicle endorsement.
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