Apprenticeship Opportunities in the RJTK Automotive Group

Originally hailing from South East London, Darren has spent all of his career in the motor industry and here he tells us a little more about it – let’s get to know him!

I started as a Valeter at 17 at Clifford’s Vauxhall in Gravesend, Kent. From there I was promoted to service driver and my job rotated between service reception and car hire. I then moved to a Ford dealership as Site Manager, which basically involved keeping the site tidy and organised and ensuring everything ran smoothly which was a challenge! My ultimate goal at that point was to join the Sales team so I offered to work all weekends and days off for that department.

Once I achieved my goal and was given the opportunity in Sales, I out-sold 75% of the Sales Consultants on site! I was a trainee Sales Consultant for 6 months before moving on to a fully-fledged sales role for two and a half years. When the opportunity arose to become a Business Manager, I grasped it with both hands and within time I was then made New Car Sales Controller at Ford in Sittingbourne.

I relocated to Lincolnshire and took a position as Used Car Controller at TC Harrison. I then spent some time at Ford as a Business Manager before going self-employed in 2004. This was an opportunity to work as a Partner in an independent Ford specialist and was a great learning opportunity. In 2009 I joined Thurlby Motors as Sales Manager where I furthered my career before joining the RJTK Group as General Manager at Drayton Motors Kia in Boston. Since holding this position, it has been an exciting time as I have worked closely with Robin Wilson, CEO of the RJTK Group to further grow the Drayton Motors brand. With now four Kia dealerships (and hopefully more to come) it has been great for not only my own development, but also the opportunities that it has given others. There is nothing more pleasing that to see people grow within the business. More recently I have also created our new brand, Autohub, which is completely different to the franchise dealership model.

I have always been determined and had great role models in my parents. It’s been a lot of hard work, but I truly believe the motor industry offers an exciting, varied and rewarding career with lots of opportunities!

In Ellie’s own words “Although I enjoyed school and college, I knew that university wasn't the right fit for me, which is why I began looking for apprenticeships. I saw this job at Wilson and Co being advertised and due to my love of business and maths at college I knew it was something I would be interested in, so applied and was lucky enough to have been offered the position. During my time at Wilson and Co I have enjoyed learning lots of different roles which has assisted me in my AAT studies.”

Josh had always known he wanted to work with cars from an early age so after he left school he applied for an apprentice job with Wilson and Co and got the job. He loves working with cars and learning on the job and his mentor, Mick McNeil is so impressed with how he has grown as a person over the past two years, gaining confidence and knowledge as he goes. Mick has even been teaching Josh how to cook, giving him a recipe to try at home and then getting to taste it the next day!

When I started at Wilson and Co back in April 2019 I was pretty nervous as I’ve never had a job inside the motor trade however after meeting all the people here they’ve all been great in helping me transition into this job. I’m learning new skills every day which help me carry out my work day to day and I use this knowledge in the college assignments I’ve been asked to do, so I can push towards the qualification I’m completing.