Apprentice Vehicle Damage Assessor

About the Role

Are you looking for a great first step into a career where you can learn on the job and gain a recognised qualification while earning? An apprenticeship could be the perfect opportunity to start your professional journey.

Apprenticeship Central are recruiting an Apprentice Vehicle Damage Assessor to join a busy and supportive automotive team in Guildford. As a VDA Apprentice, you will play a crucial role in inspecting, evaluating, and estimating repairs for vehicles involved in collisions, contributing directly to customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. You will interact with customers, insurance companies, technicians, and office staff, building skills essential for a long-term career in automotive assessment.

Apprenticeship Details:

Duration: 24 months

Pay: £9.59 per hour in year 1, rising to the national wage for your age from year 2

Hours: Monday to Friday (Varied between 08:00-17:00)

Training & Support:

• Block-release training with an apprenticeship provider every six weeks
• On-the-job guidance from an experienced team and allocated workplace mentor
• Visits from a training provider coach every 6–8 weeks
• Additional support from a RETAIN Manager at Apprenticeship Central

Why this apprenticeship is great / Where it can take you:

You’ll learn a range of technical skills, gain hands-on experience across multiple disciplines, and receive ongoing support to help you succeed. After completing the apprenticeship, you may have the opportunity to continue with the company in a permanent role and develop your career as a Vehicle Damage Assessor.

Company Benefits:

• Start with 23 days annual leave, of course, you’ll have public holidays too and an extra day off to celebrate your birthday!
• Free life assurance (x2 your basic salary)
• Pension & save-as-you-earn share scheme
• Well-being services (incl. 24/7 GP service, mental health support and physiotherapy + Health Cash Plan, Dental Plan & Travel Insurance)
• Stream App for all our colleagues – a Financial Wellbeing app that gives you more control over your pay. Not only does it let you choose when to get paid it also lets you put money aside each month and in addition you can get discounts on your shopping, check what benefits you’re eligible for and can even put you in touch with a financial coach!

What You’ll Do:
As an Apprentice Vehicle Damage Assessor, you’ll assist and learn across a variety of tasks, including:

• Inspecting damaged vehicles and accurately recording damage using manufacturer guidance
• Producing repair estimates using estimating software and learning how repair costs are calculated
• Supporting the creation of repair specifications and ensuring work follows manufacturer repair methods and safety standards
• Assisting with job documentation, photographs, parts ordering and workflow planning
• Communicating professionally with customers, colleagues, insurers and engineers
• Maintaining accurate records while following health, safety and environmental procedures
• Supporting the team to ensure repairs are completed on time and to a high standard

Requirements:

• GCSE (or equivalent) English – Grade 4/C or above
• GCSE (or equivalent) Maths – Grade 4/C or above

About you:

• Interested in the automotive industry and eager to build a career as a Vehicle Damage Assessor
• Enthusiastic about learning and developing new skills
• Organised, with good attention to detail and strong IT skills
• A confident communicator who enjoys working with people
• Able to work well as part of a team and follow instructions accurately
• Positive, reliable and committed to producing high-quality work
• Able to travel reliably to and from the workplace

About the company:

FMG Repair Services is one of the UK’s leading and largest group of accident repair centres. Offering quality, speed and value for all aspects of vehicle repair, you will find us in or near most cities in the UK.

Our business isn’t just about fixing cars – it’s about caring for customers, getting their vehicles back on the road with the minimum amount of fuss and the maximum amount of care.

Application Stages:

If you’re interested in this apprenticeship, you’ll begin with our pre-employment programme. This is a friendly way to complete some online tasks, learn more about the role, and see if it’s a good fit. After this, you’ll have a short telephone chat with the Apprenticeship Central Team.

Don’t worry if you haven’t done this before, we’ll guide you every step of the way and answer any questions you have.

For more information about the official apprenticeship standard, visit: Skills England