Career Stories

During his three years with Woolmer Classic Engineering, Lewis, 21, has regularly scored class-topping results at college. He single-handedly built a Volvo Amazon endurance rally car for a customer to enter on the Lima to Cape Horn Rally.

Callum, 23, joined pre-war Aston specialist Ecurie Bertelli three years ago and is close to qualifying at the Heritage Skills Academy. He volunteers for the StarterMotor charity and drove its 1903 Oldsmobile in last year's London to Brighton run.

Ever since my childhood I have been fascinated by cars and by animals. I used to enjoy drawing vehicle designs, and conducting basic servicing and minor repairs on my parents’ cars, but I ended up studying biology and becoming a conservation scientist working at several environmental organisations and in academia.

I originally was meant to go to a different college in Birmingham, but the company I was first employed with had heard about the Heritage Skills Academy through people at Bicester Heritage and had offered me an interview. I jumped at the chance because it was an opportunity to learn about classic cars and how to really problem solve, not just replace parts.

Local lad Harry joined CMC in Bridgnorth as an apprentice in 2017 having learnt turning on lathes, milling, bench fitting and welding at the Telford College of Arts and Technology. When he finished there were no motoring apprenticeships available, so he took up an apprenticeship with a company making workwear.

But he kept looking...

Since attending many vintage vehicle events such as The GoodWood Revival and Kop Hill climb at a young age with my father, I have been intrigued by the mechanisms and operating principles of historic cars, bikes and machinery. After finishing my AS levels at school, I wasn’t keen on the university path, so...