Autotech Academy’s first female intern: On her way

25 October 2021  

The first female intern to undertake the Autotech Academy Internship is now seeing her career begin to accelerate.

Despite possessing a Level 1 qualification in Light Vehicle and Maintenance Repair and a Level 2 qualification in Motor Sports, Sophie Hemming found it very difficult to get work as a technician: “I was either under qualified with a Level 2,” she observed, “or was frankly told that as a woman I wouldn’t fit in.” Instead, she worked as a seamstress, and was leaning towards teaching as a career.

Later, working towards Level 3 at Eastleigh College, Sophie was pointed towards the Autotech Academy internship programme, which provides qualified college leavers with a gateway into the industry through a paid internship.

Sophie started at Richmond ŠKODA, Botley, in September. Group Aftersales Manager Ross Alesbury observed: “It’s always great to see new people coming into the industry, and success stories like Sophie’s are a demonstration that the industry can be inclusive, albeit there is a huge challenge to change perceptions.”

Sophie added: “I am delighted to finally be in this position. At college I was considerably outnumbered, and there were only three other women on all of the automotive courses I took combined. However, the opportunities for women, even in the few years since I completed my Level 2 course, seem to have increased within the industry, and I would encourage any other woman, with a passion for motor vehicles or engineering, to follow her ambition.”

CEO of Autotech Group Gavin White concluded: “Sophie’s story is indicative of the gender imbalance within the automotive industry. A key objective when we launched Autotech Academy was to make a difference and help close this gap. Sophie’s achievement is testament to this as the Academy team have been instrumental in helping her make the transition from education to employment, and we hope she will be the first of many women to join the initiative.”

For more information visit: www.autotechacademy.co.uk