Gates helps apprentice mechanics with Supercar expertise

Gates Australia believes that apprentice mechanics are the way forward for the automotive business and up to date survey knowledge has proven massive proportion depart of their third 12 months. 

The target of the Gates Australia Apprentice program is to reward younger apprentice mechanics and reveal to them there’s extra to the business than simply the day by day grind.

Throughout 2022, a pilot program was launched in partnership with Repco Authorised Service (RAS), the place apprentice mechanics had been inspired to submit a brief video explaining why they determined to turn out to be an automotive mechanic. 

Successful submissions had been then rewarded with a VIP Supercars expertise on the Gold Coast 500 occasion. 

The apprentices had been handled to the total company hospitality expertise within the Penrite Racing company suite, together with Supercar driver meet and greets, pit excursions and crew merchandise packs.

After the success of the preliminary pilot, Gates launched the identical program with RAS apprentices in South Australia. With the hype buzzing from the Gold Coast occasion, movies submissions rolled in, which Gates then shared by way of its social media channels with robust engagement throughout a number of platforms. 

The SA apprentices had been handled to a day at Adelaide 500 road circuit, the ultimate spherical of Supercars calendar. One very fortunate apprentice additionally acquired the chance to expertise an adrenalin packed scorching lap across the observe within the Ford Mustang Security Automotive.

Following the success of the promotion, Gates will once more be working this system throughout 2023 with successful apprentices having the chance to attend the Newcastle 500, Melbourne GP, Perth SuperSprint, Tasmania SuperSprint and Darwin Triple Crown Supercar occasions. 

As well as, Gates may also be launching a Bathurst 1000 expertise, with all apprentice movies submission placing them within the working the win a spot to attend as a visitor. 

“The preliminary concept for this program advanced from an preliminary method by a RAS Enterprise Specialist  who was trying to take some apprentices to the Gold Coast 500 occasion as a part of the RAS workforce improvement initiatives and hoped Gates could possibly help with some merchandise or basic admission ticketing,” Gates Australia advertising and marketing supervisor Priscilla Robb says.

“From there we now have turned this right into a nationwide program to recognise, reward and educate the apprentices who’re the way forward for the automotive aftermarket.

Having the ability to host the apprentice offers Gates the chance to teach and promote our model on the grass root ranges, and it’s so rewarding to see a lot of them experiencing the thrill of a Supercars occasion in a Company Suite,” Robb says.

RAS program nationwide supervisor Peter Rogers, who can be a board member of the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Affiliation, thanked Gates Australia for supporting abilities improvement within the business.

“Expertise scarcity is a important problem, and we’re actively searching for initiatives and partnerships that may assist improve our workforce,” Rogers says.

“From a easy request for assist, Gates have stepped as much as throw its full help behind our efforts and we’re extraordinarily grateful for its ongoing dedication to RAS and to the commerce extra broadly,” he says.