Auto Camp is an initiative of the Motor Trades Association of Queensland (MTA Queensland) that has proved time and time again to be a successful way in helping high school students find their feet and decide what they’d like to do as a career.

The three-day hands-on school holiday program is an opportunity for teenagers aged between 14-17 to get an introduction to the automotive industry, learn some new skills and potentially get an idea of what a career in the motor trades could offer.

The most recent Auto Camp held in the July school holidays, was another fully booked class of enthusiastic students from schools across the greater Brisbane region.

Blake Harrison (16) from St Paul’s School, is the son of MTA Queensland Director Grant Harrison and attended the most recent Auto Camp with an automotive career in mind.

“I definitely want to work in the automotive industry; probably as a Light Vehicle Mechanic,” Blake said. “It’s something I’ve always had an inkling towards, but doing Auto Camp has 100 per cent confirmed that I’m making the right decision.”

Blake’s father Grant Harrison has been working in the automotive industry since 1989 and after seeing the value of the Auto Camp, encouraged his son to complete the course in preparation for a career in the automotive industry.

“My dad encouraged me to sign up to Auto Camp, almost as a pre-requisite to a Certificate II and then later on to a Certificate III,” Blake said. “It’s been the perfect introduction into what I can expect, and it’s given me that extra bit of knowledge which will ultimately help me in the long run.”

Codey Collins (14) from Rochedale State High School is another student who has benefited from attending Auto Camp.

“I’m not entirely sure on the specifics of what I want to do as a career, but I definitely would like it to be with cars,” he said. “Auto Camp has made me go, ‘yep, this is something that I like doing and want to do more off’; I’ve really enjoyed it. Auto Camp gives you a real mix of things to do over the three days and learning about the different aspects of the automotive industry has been really cool.”

Whilst being an incredibly useful way to help teens decide what they’d like to do when leaving school, Auto Camp is not just for students who are considering a career in the automotive industry. It’s also perfect for teenagers who have an interest in manufacturing, engineering, or simply learning with their hands.

Finlay Derry (15) from Ambrose Tracey College is one of these students.

“I don’t necessarily want a career in the automotive industry but regardless of this, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Auto Camp,” Finlay said.

“In particular, I’ve really enjoyed learning about the electronics and knowing that I’m soldering and combining all these components which will result in a product is really fascinating. It’s something I haven’t done a lot of, but I really enjoy it and it’s certainly helped me figure out where my interests lay. If you have even the slightest interest in cars or engineering, I definitely recommend doing Auto Camp.”

“Absolutely,” Blake continued. “It just opens your eyes to so many different aspects to the automotive industry that you didn’t even realise existed. My experience has only ever been from the front of a workshop where you often don’t get a glimpse into the back. But Auto Camp kind of blows that wide open and gives you a chance to see what goes on behind the scenes. There’s a lot of variable things that you need to understand and if you’re not too sure about what you want to do for your future, completing Auto Camp is great idea. If you’re sceptic, just do it, you have nothing to lose and it’s a really great way to spend your holidays – you won’t regret it.”

This notion was agreed upon by all.

“If you’re someone that has never touched a car and know nothing about it then Auto Camp is perfect for you,” Codey said.  “One of the students was in this situation and he seems to really be enjoying every component of the course. I definitely recommend doing this.”

15 Jul 2019