Meet Ewan Elliot

The team in the Bodyshop Swindon are very supportive of their Apprentices, and nothing makes the team more proud than seeing our home-grown talent thriving in the automotive world. Therefore, the team were delighted to hear that their own Paint Technician Apprentice, Ewan, has been selected as the Paint Technician ‘Apprentice of the Year’ by the BMW Academy UK.

To find out more, we spoke to Ewan and his manager Paul, about what this award means to them, and for the team at the Bodyshop.

Who nominated you for this award?

I was nominated for the award by my CPA, he was amazingly supportive throughout the whole apprenticeship and wrote some really nice words about my high standards, good attitude to work and my support and mentoring to others as some of his reasons for my nomination. I really wasn’t expecting to be nominated but to be nominated by someone else, particularly someone that has seen your whole journey makes the award even more special.

What does the award mean to you?

The award is something that I am really proud of, the apprenticeship is a really thorough course and we had the additional complication of Covid during it and I would have been proud to just pass to be given this award is something I never would have dreamed of.

What are you looking forward to next in your career as a Technician?

I think I am now really looking forward to putting all of my skills into practice regularly at the body shop to help the company to continue to deliver work of a high standard. I am also looking to develop my skills and learn new skills from the rest of my colleagues

What was the best thing about an Apprenticeship with BMW?

You can really tell how much BMW invest into you and believe in the apprenticeship scheme. The teaching, support and facilities are fantastic, and you really feel that they are investing in your future. I have learnt skills that I will be able to use throughout my whole career and have also grown as an individual. In fact it has even encouraged me to buy my own BMW 4 series

What is the best thing about working at Dick Lovett?

For me, one of the best things about working for Dick Lovett is the people, my manager and all the staff at dick Lovett love to encourage you to learn new skills and develop myself as an individual. And in this day and age, working for a well-respected family business with a great reputation is an honour. I have always loved cars and having the chance to work on such high-quality vehicles is amazing.

What would you say to someone thinking of applying for an Apprenticeship?

I would highly recommend this apprenticeship to anyone. I believe it has taught me the knowledge and skills to work at a high standard within my field. I have been supported all the way through and I know that I am a better Bodyshop Technician because of it.

Paul Blewett, the Manager at the Bodyshop Swindon, is so pleased for Ewan and his team for this wonderful achievement;

“I have had the pleasure of working with Ewan for the last two years of his apprenticeship, watching him grow from a quiet shy individual to the proud talented Paint Technician he has become, has been fantastic to witness, as he has demonstrated to all with his recent nomination for Apprentice of the year, he is certainly a start of the future and a tremendous asset to Dick Lovett”