A TEENAGER’S natural ability with cars has set him on the road to a successful career.

Billy Lake was taken on as an apprentice motor vehicle technician after studying at Darlington College, a key partner in Foundation for Jobs, during his school days.

The 16-year-old from Heighington, near Darlington, was offered a work experience trial at Darlington Tyre and Auto Care after spending one day each week at the college while still a pupil at the town’s Hummersknott Academy.

The firm has now taken the youngster on as an apprentice due to the positive impression he made during his trial.

He said: “It’s brilliant. You really learn on the job. It’s not people telling you what to do, but showing you how to do it.

It’s the best way of learning.”

He combines his on-the-job training with one day a week at the college, studying for a level two diploma in vehicle maintenance.

He said: “It’s great to still be in college because the tutors really add to the learning and help to show you the theory which the next day you can take into the workshop.”

Darlington Tyre and Auto care manager Adrian Hind said his young trainee had made a very promising start to his career, adding: “Billy really stood out as someone who had a lot of talent. For him to be working at only 16 in the industry, is a great way to start and a solid platform.”

Dave Hobson, a tutor at Darlington College, said: “Billy started his career as a pre-16 trainee, and instantly showed a strong passion for the subject.”

He joins two other Darlington College apprentices at the garage.

Now a national award winning project, Foundation for Jobs is a joint initiative involving Darlington Borough Council, The Northern Echo and the Darlington Partnership of private firms and public sector organisations and has enjoyed support from businesses and industrialists across the whole North-East region.

One of the key aims of Foundation for Jobs, which was launched in January last year, is to increase the number of firms that take on apprentices, with the campaign working with these businesses to create more than 200 new apprenticeship places to date, many through Darlington College.

Earlier this year research released by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills showed that 81 per cent of companies which had taken on apprentices would recommend other firms do the same and 83 per cent of apprentices said it had improved their ability to do their job and boosted their career prospects.