Interested in a career in engineering and road transport? Want to kickstart your career in a field of steady growth and learn alongside seasoned professionals? The Level 4 Road Transport Engineering Manager apprenticeship might be for you – Find out what this role entails, and what your journey could look like.
Role overview and entry criteria for the Level 4 Road Transport Engineering Manager apprenticeship
The duration of the apprenticeship is 36 months, but may be reduced for a candidate with previous relevant experience. It is recommended that candidates have completed a Level 3 apprenticeship, or has prior work experience in an engineering supervisor role.
In this role you are responsible for managing the road transport engineering department of a bus, coach or commercial vehicle operator – this includes managing the safety of the team and the reliability of the vehicle fleet. You will ensure that vehicles are compliant with health and safety regulations, and relevant industry regulations and codes of practice for Passenger Carrying Vehicles (PCV). You will also constantly review working practices in the depot, managing the infrastructure and resources efficiently and managing environmental impact.
Personal and professional skills required as a Level 4 Road Transport Engineering Manager
Those who take on the role will need to display and develop the following key skills throughout their apprenticeship:
- Customer relationship management – managing and building relationships with internal and external customers
- Results driven – take full ownership of work and collaborate with team members to exceed expectations
- Proactive and enthusiastic – consistently identify opportunities for growth in yourself and others and recognising the contribution of others, providing constructive feedback
- Active listening – use a range of communication methods to suit the diverse audiences you will be working with
- Deconstructing and managing complex situations – accepting responsibility and making decisions based on personal initiative, technical knowledge, and situational analysis
- Resilience and drive – seeing work through to completion and prepared to try new things and redefine best practices
- Natural authority – consistent leader, acting as a role model
Responsibilities of a Level 4 Road Transport Engineering Manager
Within the role you will take on various responsibilities, some of which are:
- Developing plans and schedules to maintain the fleet maintenance schedule in order to provide safe and reliable operational performance standards
- Working with drivers and internal and external customers
- Prioritising and managing breakdown and maintenance issues, such as road accidents
- Apply engineering solutions using established and emerging technology
- Monitor the efficiency of engineering activities and proposing improvements to efficiency
- Ensuring industry best practice is adhered to by all staff, identifying and reducing all risks
- Managing the performance and development of staff, leading by example
- Managing the engineering budget in accordance with realistic targets
- Managing the storage, removal and disposal of waste on site, actively seeking to minimise environmental impact
- Building strong relationships with all stakeholders, such as suppliers, manufacturers, and regulators
- Delivering performance reports using relevant technologies
Career progression for a Level 4 Road Transport Engineering Manager
Upon completion of this apprenticeship you can expect to gain a qualification which meets the professional standards of the relevant professional bodies of the Engineering Council for initial registration as an Engineering Technician. This will make you ready to pursue either a full-time career in the field, or continue onto higher levels of education and training, leading to a business management or engineering degree.
Conclusion
The Level 4 Road Transport Engineering Manager role has wide scope for the development of both your personal and professional skills and can set you up for a successful career in the engineering industry.
If you would like to learn about other engineering and manufacturing apprenticeship offerings, check out our other posts here.