Gates of Harlow welcome two new Ford Motor Vehicle apprentices to the team

Teddy Williams and Tommy Andrews among thirteen new apprentices to join the Gates Team.

At Gates Ford, we are celebrating the government-run, National Apprenticeships Week which, in 2023, runs from 6th-13th February. This year marks the 16th annual celebration of apprenticeship schemes in the UK. Apprenticeships not only help businesses such as Gates to develop skilled employees, but they also help provide individuals with the knowledge and expertise required for their chosen career.

In September, Gates were proud to welcome thirteen new Ford Motor Vehicle Apprentices to the aftersales teams at our dealerships in Essex, Hertfordshire and London.

Two of our new recruits are Teddy Williams and Tommy Andrews, both 18 years of age, who are now based at Gates of Harlow. Teddy and Tommy were both at Harlow college previously and successfully completed courses in Automotive Studies. Teddy also received an award for Automotive Student of the Year during his time there! The course provides an introduction to those interested in pursuing a career in the Motor Industry by teaching both theory and practical skills. Whilst studying with Harlow College, Teddy and Tommy were also able to gain some hands-on experience by working in our state-of-the-art workshop at Gates of Harlow, alongside our experienced Ford Trained Technicians for approximately 2 days per week.

Simon Lewis, Operations Director at Gates of Harlow said: "There is growing demand for skilled vehicle technicians and therefore Automotive Apprenticeships are very important to us here at Gates." Simon continues: "with vehicle technology advancing at a fast rate too, we need to ensure that our dealerships are building for the future and our Apprenticeship Schemes are the perfect way to achieve that."

Both Teddy and Tommy have now joined our team on a full-time basis and have started the Ford Masters Apprenticeship Programme. The programme duration is approximately 30-months, during which time our apprentices will continue to develop their skills alongside our Experienced Technicians, as well as attending Ford's Specialist College throughout the course of each year. Our Apprentices are not only supported by the team at Gates, but will also have a dedicated mentor to guide them through their apprenticeship programme.