Student training day held at Schaeffler Hereford HQ
‘Wrenches & Wisdom’ student training event held at Schaeffler’s aftermarket HQ in Hereford
Trainee vehicle technicians and lecturers treated to informative sessions from Schaeffler REPXPERTs and ‘Womanic’ Louise Baker
A student training event, held as part of the ongoing Schaeffler REPXPERT ‘Wrenches & Wisdom’ campaign, took place at the motion technology company’s Hereford HQ on Tuesday (22nd October). Ten trainee automotive technicians, along with four lecturers, were welcomed on site for a series of technical talks, along with a lively presentation from ‘Womanic’ Louise Baker.
All 10 students at the event were Level 2 and 3 apprentice mechanics studying at Herefordshire, Ludlow & North Shropshire College.
“Tuesday’s ‘Wrenches & Wisdom’ student training day gave our young visitors a greater insight into the working world of the automotive aftermarket,” said Matt Selby, Sales and Marketing Director at Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket (UK) Ltd.
After a brief welcome and site tour, Schaeffler’s Technical Manager, Alistair Mason, got the morning started with a detailed technical session on clutch system technology. After lunch, the students were treated to a lively talk from ‘Womanic’, Louise Baker, who described her personal journey into how she forged a successful aftermarket career. Alistair then returned to present a session on timing belt systems, followed by Marketing and Digital Media Executive Tony Yates giving the students an insight into Schaeffler’s social media activity. The event concluded with an enthusiastic Q&A session hosted by Alistair.
The involvement of Louise Baker was a pivotal part of the day. “We set up the ‘Wrenches & Wisdom’ campaign so those entering the aftermarket could learn from established industry figures,” said Matt, “and our 10 visitors received some invaluable insight from Louise on how she prospered in a traditionally male dominated environment.”
The day proved to be an inspiring experience for the students. “All our apprentices found the whole day really beneficial,” said Philip Dallow, Motor Vehicle Assessor Co-ordinator at Herefordshire, Ludlow & North Shropshire College. “They were buzzing on the way back to college afterwards. The tutors that attended, me included, were also very impressed with the way everything was presented. We all learned a lot about the systems covered.”
The ‘Wrenches & Wisdom’ campaign is also intended to inspire the whole industry. “It is vital that aftermarket organisations work with those undertaking vehicle maintenance and repair training,” said Matt, “so they can see first-hand how the sector is evolving. This will help them understand the inevitable progression taking place across the industry, so they are prepared for the workshop of tomorrow.”