LSH Auto will welcome three Australian apprentices for a cultural and career development tour this week.
Ray Sorrell, Louis Wade and Adriano Minna flew to the UK on Friday 1st November for a week-long tour. Each apprentice will see first-hand the differences and similarities between apprenticeships in Australia and the UK and will be able to expand their knowledge and share insights with their colleagues.
Ray began his four-year apprenticeship in panel beating in April 2021 and has become an integral part of the MBQ Autobody team at Mercedes-Benz Brisbane. He said:
“I’m hoping to find out more about international panel beating practices. Particularly if there are different models and repair techniques that vary from the ones I’m used to in Australia.”
Louis is nearing the completion of his apprenticeship in light vehicle mechanics at Mercedes-Benz Melbourne Airport. He wants to gain experience that will support his progression into a leadership role within LSH Auto, providing guidance and mentoring to emerging automotive professionals. Louis said:
“I’m hoping to expand my professional network and find out more about the global operations of LSH Auto. Experiencing different approaches to automotive service and management will give me some valuable new perspectives and techniques that I can share with my team in Melbourne.”
Adriano began his apprenticeship with Mercedes-Benz at AMG Sydney in 2021. He has always specialised in the high-performance sector of the automotive industry and hopes to become a trainer to guide future apprentices. Adriano said:
“I really value mentorship and hope that I’ll be able to share the knowledge and principles that I’ve learned with the next generation of automotive experts. On this trip, I’m hoping to grow my skills and broaden my perspective on global automotive practices so I can return to Australia with international experience and new-found inspiration.”
As part of their tour, the winning apprentices will spend time working alongside the aftersales and parts teams at Mercedes-Benz of Stockport and Mercedes-Benz of Birmingham, to gain hands-on experience with operational work in the UK.
Katherine McLoughlin, Head of Aftersales at LSH Auto, said:
“We’re delighted to welcome our apprentices from LSH Auto Australia. This initiative highlights the importance of open dialogue and knowledge exchange between our teams in different countries. We’re passionate about giving our apprentices the very best start. In fact, here in the UK two of our LSH Auto apprentices have been named Apprentice of the Year by Mercedes-Benz UK in 2024 and 2023. As our brands continue to evolve, particularly in the realm of electric vehicles, we recognise the need to invest in a younger generation who will drive this technology forward.”
The Australian apprentices will also meet young people at Salford College and Manchester and Trafford College who may be interested in pursuing an apprenticeship themselves.
To round off their trip, they will stay at the Brooklands Hotel in Surrey and spend a day at Mercedes-Benz World enjoying a driving experience before heading to London.
Rachel McDermot, Head of Human Resources for LSH Auto, said:
“We’re looking forward to welcoming Ray, Louis and Adriano as the winners of the LSH Auto 2024 Scholarship Program. We would also like to thank our LSH Auto colleagues in Australia and their partner WPC Group for organising the scholarship.
“Becoming an apprentice is a great way to earn money and a qualification whilst gaining invaluable real-life experience of the career you’re interested in. We currently have 74 apprentices working at our Mercedes-Benz dealerships in Stockport, Macclesfield, Whitefield, Birmingham, Solihull, and Tamworth. We offer ten courses, all with NVQ Level 3 qualifications.”
Anybody wishing to find out more about apprenticeships should email becky.pitt@lshauto.co.uk or visit https://www.lshauto.co.uk/recruitment/current-vacancies/ for information on careers with LSH Auto.