Harbir Dhaliwal

Master Technician, BMW Product Development and Test Centre, BMW (UK) Ltd

Job description

To prepare and maintain all vehicles to the highest standards to:

• Ensure a high quality service and presentation of company products
• Promote the image and integrity of the product in the eyes of the press and public
• Achieve the targeted revenue of sales for Product Development and Test Centre

What does your job involve?

I am one of 80 Master Technicians in the UK. I am based at the BMW (UK) Ltd head office in Bracknell where I look after the 100 or so fleet cars we use for promotional work with the media, making sure they are in tip-top condition for events attended by journalists. Recently a fleet of Hydrogen 7 cars were in the UK and I received training from a Hydrogen Engineer. I am also involved with fixing problems on cars that have been sent from BMW dealers. Most of my day, around 80%, is spent in the workshop. Working on pre-production cars is another aspect of my job, fitting a range of accessories and testing their suitability for the UK market.

How did you begin your career at BMW?

It was purely by chance! I had just finished my GCSEs and enrolled into college to commence A Levels and take the normal degree route, hoping I would find a job to do with cars when I had finished. However I saw an advertisement in a car magazine about BMW apprenticeships. Initially my parents were worried that I would be missing out on a decent education going off to work when I had just turned 16, but as I read more about apprenticeships it looked like a win-win situation. I would be sent to college to study, receive good qualifications and spend time working on cars - all whilst being paid!

I completed my apprenticeship in 1999, qualifying as a technician. After completing a series of exams I then progressed to Senior technician and became a Master technician in 2006.

What do you find most rewarding about your job?

Driving great cars and the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve fixed something. I love working at the head office because I’m involved in development, testing and analysis work. I also get to work on some special cars, particularly the BMW M5 – it’s just so innovative and hi-tech, easily one of the most advanced cars on the road today.

Would you recommend the BMW Apprenticeship programme to others?

Without a doubt. I look back on my apprenticeship with a great sense of achievement. I am doing what I love and I don’t think I could have done it if it hadn’t been for the BMW apprenticeship scheme.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to work in the automotive industry?

If you want something you have to aim high and go for it. Being interested in cars will help, but more importantly an enthusiastic approach to learning, as in any career, will take you far. Also, it’s important to talk to as many people as you can in the industry to get a better insight. Work experience is an excellent way of doing this.