Nikki Middleton

Apprentice mechanic

'The more I was discouraged from doing the job, the more I wanted to prove that I could do it!' says Nikki.

Clearly loving what she does and stopping at nothing to do it, Nikki's been a mechanic for two years but she still likes to take time out to fix her boyfriend's car and motorbike.

'When I was younger, at the back of my mind I always wanted to be a mechanic working on cars,' says our grubby handed apprentice. 'But my mum wanted me to be a nurse and my dad tried to discourage me as well.'

Undeterred, Nikki dropped out of college after a year on a Health Studies course and went to Greeno's Vauxhall centre in Telford. She asked the service manager if there were any Apprenticeships available and was given an interview the next day. She was offered a job straight after and has been there ever since, studying for her Apprenticeship in light vehicle mechanics with the help of ReMIT, an important motor industry training organisation.

So what does Nikki say to people who think being a mechanic is more suited to men? 'I know a couple of girls who are mechanics,' Nikki says proudly. 'Sometimes customers are surprised to see a young girl working on their car but it just makes me want to do better.' And how about her parents? 'They're very supportive and proud that I've done so well and achieved what I wanted to do.'

Nikki's experience has obviously taught her a lot and she has some straight forward advice for anyone who wants to do a job but is caught in two minds: 'I was training to be a nurse and I turned round and became a mechanic. If you're set in what you want to do, go do it.'