We invest in those who invest in themselves.
From 2027 we are opening a small number of sponsored places at the Academy. Tell us why you should be one of them.
Every year, young people leave school with no clear path in front of them, and others are already out and stuck in work that leads nowhere. Some of them are brilliant with their hands. They just need someone to give them the first chance. That is what a sponsored place is. It is open to anyone aged 16 to 20, whether you are finishing school this year or left some time ago.
We do not hand out certificates. We build careers. The programme asks for commitment, so we take only the people who show they want it.
Write to us about your background, what you want from a career, and why a sponsored place should go to you. Your own words, however you want to say it.
Come in and talk with our team about what you are ready for. This is a conversation, not an exam.
You spend time on the floor with us, hands on a real job. You find out whether you like the work, and we find out how you learn.
Successful candidates are invited to begin. Places are limited, so the teaching stays personal. Your place continues as long as you keep turning up and keep meeting the standard.
- Genuine interest in the trade and the industry
- Willingness to learn and accept feedback
- Strong work ethic and reliability
- Commitment to finish the full programme
- A positive attitude and professionalism
- Previous industry experience
- Specific academic qualifications
- A particular background or connections
You learn preparation and detailing properly, which is the part everything else rests on. Do well and you finish the year working as a junior craftsman, paid for the hours you work, with us or with one of our partner workshops. Full time if you have left school, part time around your studies if you have not.
You move into protection: coatings, films and tinting. You are earning while you learn, and the training carries on around the work.
You take on the harder jobs and the surfaces most people will not touch, and from here the choice is yours: start your own business, go deeper into the craft, or stay in a job you are good at and build from there.
We do not only teach the craft. Along the way you learn how the work is sold, how customers are looked after, and how a business is actually run, because knowing the trade is only half of what carries someone through.
Tell us your story.
Anyone can learn this trade. Not everyone is willing to put in the work. We will teach you everything you need to know, but you have to bring the right attitude.
Give us everything you have got, and we will do the same. Show up ready to work.
Sponsored places open in 2027. If you are under 18, please have a parent or guardian send your story with you. Schools are welcome to get in touch about a group. We will confirm exactly what the later years involve, including any costs, before anyone commits to a place. Nobody will be asked for something they were not told about at the start.
This trade has no pathway into it. A panelbeater or a car painter can serve an apprenticeship and come out qualified. For detailing, coating, film and tint there is nothing. The one detailing strand that sat inside a motor industry certificate was discontinued in 2019 and never replaced, so everyone working in this trade today learned it privately, overseas, or on their own.
Workshops end up competing for the same few people because nobody is making any new ones. We are building the pathway that should already be there.
Why we do this: The Heart of the House
A sponsored place covers a young person’s first year at the Academy, which is the year that needs the most help. From year two they are working as a junior craftsman and earning while they carry on learning.
You back one person by name, you hear how they are getting on, and you get the first option to hire them when they are ready. Places are funded term by term, so nothing is spent before it is taught.
We are talking to people about places for 2027 now. If you would like to be one of them, get in touch.