AN ISLE of Wight Nissan dealership has broken ground by taking on the county’s first female technician.
Staddlestones Nissan, in Ryde, took on Jade Barry, who had been volunteering at the dealership while completing all three levels of her City and Guilds qualifications at the Isle of Wight College.
Staddlestones works in partnership with the Isle of Wight College to provide around a dozen mechanics students with work experience placements, and has two apprentices on site at any one time.
Jade is now six months into her apprenticeship and halfway through her NVQ Level 3 Motor Vehicle Technician course — and will soon begin the journey to becoming a Nissan Master Technician.
Jade, 21, said: “There were a few girls on the same course as me at the college but none of them ended up working as a mechanic, it was just me.
“I’ve always loved working with things, getting my hands dirty and getting stuck in. My mentor here, Sean Jennings, is fantastic, and I feel very much a part of the team. The bigger the challenge, the more I want to tackle it!”
In addition to her apprenticeship, Jade is also being trained to use the dealership’s on-site defibrillator and become the workshop’s designated first-aider.
Service Manager Matt Lawton said: “Jade is an exceptionally dedicated and determined person, who knows what she wants and put everything in place to make it happen.
“She used her initiative to volunteer here, learning the ropes in every department before deciding that being a technician was the career for her — and we’re delighted she joined us. She knows so much more than most apprentices at her level, and I have no doubt she’s going to go far.”
