Tiger Trailers launches coachbuilding apprenticeship with Heritage Skills Academy

Commercial vehicle manufacturer Tiger Trailers is on the hunt for 12 apprentices for its new coachbuilding apprenticeship, launched in partnership with Heritage Skills Academy.

The apprenticeship offers trainees the opportunity to gain skills working on classic cars, vans, motorcycles, trucks and other vehicles at Brooklands Museum and Bicester Heritage, both centres of automotive heritage.

The new Heritage Engineering Technician Apprenticeship in Classic Vehicle Coachbuilding combines old-school skills with cutting-edge technology.

Working with highly specialist teams, apprentices will be taught about the history and development of materials and vehicle construction, hand skills, design and pattern development while working with composite materials, welding, fabrication including bending, folding, creating jigs and frames, and the removal and replacement of components.

Twelve places on apprenticeship are available through Tiger Trailers with successful applicants working towards a Heritage Engineering Technician (HET) Level 3 Apprenticeship qualification.

The qualification is awarded by HSA at the end of the 42-month course and is a nationally recognised certification.

Apprentices graduating from the programme are guaranteed employment with Tiger Trailers, with the prospect of a long-term career and the opportunity to progress to managerial roles at the Cheshire-based firm.

Abigail Lee, Tiger Trailers HR manager, said: “We are extremely proud to be able to offer this unique, exciting and highly specialised new apprenticeship, which gives the next generation of trailer coachbuilders an incomparable opportunity to learn at iconic sites like Bicester Heritage and Brooklands while surrounded by classic vehicles of all sizes right up to airplanes including Concorde.

“Tiger has always been passionate about apprenticeships, and we hope that our new partnership with HSA will lead to other exciting developments in the future while ensuring that our products are built to the highest standards, alongside the strong benefits we offer and our active part in local education and community”, she added.

A starting salary of £12,506 is offered and the apprenticeship is delivered on a block release basis, with apprentices attending HSA’s academy at Brooklands in Surrey on average every 5 weeks for a 5-day block of training running from Monday to Friday.

The remaining 80% of the time is spent working in Tiger Trailers’ 168,000 sq ft modern trailer manufacturing facility, with the firm covering accommodation and travel costs during training.

Those interested in enrolling on this unique opportunity can obtain more information from Tiger Trailers’ website, which directs applicants to the government’s ‘find an apprenticeship’ service where they can formally apply. Applications close in early September, with an anticipated course start date of October.

John Pitchforth, Heritage Skills Academy’s MD, said: “We are excited to be working in partnership with Tiger on this new apprenticeship program.

“Teaching new and old coachbuilding skills is so important to keeping the UK industry at the forefront of design and build.

“The Tiger apprenticeship offers excellent career prospects for a long and interesting career with a world class company.”