Before a job candidate can become an automotive mechanic, he or she will need to become an automotive apprentice to learn the skills and techniques required to be successful in the position. An automotive apprentice will work, usually full-time, under the guidance and supervision of an experienced automotive mechanic in order to receive job training regarding the inner workings of mechanic duties. The apprentice will usually have undergone some sort of training already, and the apprenticeship program will last anywhere from one to five years in order to ensure a thorough education on the job.
An automotive apprentice may work in an automobile repair shop that is privately owned, or he or she may work for an automobile manufacturer. In either case, many of the duties the automotive apprentice will perform will be basic duties at first, such as cleaning or parts retrieval. As the apprenticeship progresses, the apprentice will begin to perform basic automotive repair or maintenance duties. The experienced mechanic will be responsible for monitoring any work the apprentice does, and no vehicles that the apprentice has worked on will leave the shop before it has been thoroughly inspected and tested by the experienced mechanic.
It may be necessary for the automotive apprentice to take part in some classroom training during the apprenticeship period. Much of this classroom training will prepare the apprentice for the appropriate certifications or licenses he or she will need in order to become a full-time licensed mechanic. In other cases, the classroom education may include information about specific automobile systems, such as electrical systems or hydraulic systems. Most of the apprenticeship will be spent in a shop, however, performing hands-on repairs and maintenance duties. The apprentice will be responsible for passing any appropriate certification exams before he or she can complete the apprenticeship.
Once the apprenticeship is complete and the automotive apprentice has completed all necessary certifications, he or she can begin working as a full-time mechanic. The company with which the apprentice performed his apprenticeship may choose to hire him or her, though in some cases the new mechanic may need to seek out employment elsewhere. Automotive unions are present in some areas, and if the apprentice chooses to join the union, job resources may become available to him or her. Union membership is not always required, though in some areas, membership may be required before the mechanic can be employed by any automotive company.