Is it legal to work as a car mechanic without formal qualifications.

I'm not thinking of running a garage, but I'll need a part time job and I'm thinking of working as a mechanic or sort of mechanic's assistant as an option, as I have skills in doing most kinds of mechanical repairs, so would that be legal if I worked in a garage and was doing some car repairs, at least as long those were supervised by mechanics with qualifications? Is that practiced, that some guys in garages have formal qualifications and some not?

Reply 1

Surnia

It is legal, and you can apply to be a mechanic with just GCSEs and no specialisms, but how do you prove your skills to an employer to take you on if you don't have automotive qualifications or aren't doing any kind of training? It's whether you could find someone who would want qualified staff tied up in producing a programme for entirely on-the-job training or supervising someone who is a completely unknown quantity when they could be getting on with their own work.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 2

PTMalewski

Original post by Surnia

I have two cars that require some work to be done, and a camera.

Reply 3

Surnia

Original post by PTMalewski

I have two cars that require some work to be done, and a camera.

Your point being?

Reply 4

Reality Check

Original post by PTMalewski

A garage isn't realistically going to take on a DIY mechanic to work on paying customer's cars. The amount of supervision by trained mechanics you'd need means that the garage would lose productive hours. Furthermore, the risk of you doing something wrong and it having to then be put right by someone who actually knew what they were doing is too high to make it worthwhile to the garage.

Mechanics are skilled tradesmen. It's not just something you can just 'try your hand at' because you've successfully changed your own oil and headlight bulbs (or even done something from the Haynes manual that had 4 spanners).

Reply 5

PTMalewski

Original post by Surnia

Your point being?

You don't know what a man can do, untill you see him working.

Original post by Reality Check

It's not just something you can just 'try your hand at' because you've successfully changed your own oil and headlight bulbs (or even done something from the Haynes manual that had 4 spanners).

Of course not. But I can do most things they can, if only provided with proper tools and infrastructure.

Original post by Reality Check

Mechanics are skilled tradesmen.

Yes, they should be. But if they all were I would have had only some theoretical knowledge on these things, not practical experience in repairing things they broke during their work, done wrong, or didn't touch at all, despite they had been specifically asked to repair them.

Well, if it's legal then that's all I need to know.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 6

Surnia

Original post by PTMalewski

You don't know what a man can do, untill you see him working.

Being an engineer myself, yes, I do know, but in my line of work everyone undergoes formal training and hence does not need 100% supervision. We couldn't afford to watch people to see if they could do the jobs required on a day-to-day basis; we know because they've been trained and will do stage checks.

Of course not. But I can do most things they can, if only provided with proper tools and infrastructure.

But how are employers going to know that?

Yes, they should be. But if they all were I would have had only some theoretical knowledge on these things, not practical experience in repairing things they broke during their work, done wrong, or didn't touch at all, despite they had been specifically asked to repair them.

Yes, most people have experienced that. But where are you getting your knowledge from to fix things? You need a reference.

Well, if it's legal then that's all I need to know.

Read back. It's not just the legality of working without a formal specialist qualification, it's finding a suitable emoyer who can provide OJT.

Answered in bold.

Reply 7

PTMalewski

Original post by Surnia

Being an engineer myself, yes, I do know, but in my line of work everyone undergoes formal training and hence does not need 100% supervision. We couldn't afford to watch people to see if they could do the jobs required on a day-to-day basis; we know because they've been trained and will do stage checks.

I don't know what sort of job are you talking about, but I can hardly imagine this would apply to a garage.
A skilled mechanic needs maybe two seconds look to see if his colleague has assembled brakes or suspension correctly.

If you're reparing an engine that has blown head gasket, it actually takes several hours at best to do it. Even accidentally others take a look and see what is being done and how. Also, cars have different tightening torques on their parts, so service manuals are required. Those typically give procedures for the model they describe, it's hard to do something wrong if one can read.

Also, many jobs actually require two men to do them, as the work gets easier and quicker, eg. removal of gearbox, so someone is looking anyway.

Original post by Surnia

Yes, most people have experienced that. But where are you getting your knowledge from to fix things? You need a reference.

Then you can't hire anyone who has not worked in the UK or at least in the West in the field before.
In Eastern Europe nobody asks for reference, because everybody knows those are worthless. Their text would either be a result of employer's revenge for quitting or bribery. The only possible clue would be years-long employment.
Either way, it's a Catch-22 situation for anyone who wants to enter the trade.

Unless you can tell from something like that, if the job has been done properly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LGLivjG6l4
I can tell I'd like the moment of unscrewing the cylinder head, to be filmed slower, to see more easily if it was done in a way that is safe for cylinder head.