Pembleton Apprenticeships, Inspiring Future Generations

Pembleton Motor Company
Apr 29
3 min read

The art of coachbuilding is a dying trade, forming sheet metal into intricate shapes and forms to create a beautiful cars in most cases is now a job left to machines, hydraulic presses and robots, but not for Pembleton. We take huge pride in the hand-built nature of our cars, each and every body panel painstakingly sculpted before being bonded and riveted to our tubular steel space frame chassis forming a stiff monocoque structure.

Pembleton workshop behind the scenes, building a t24 — Pembleton Workshop

The process of hand-building a Pembleton is a labour intensive and highly skilled task that takes years to perfect. This is one of the reasons it takes over 450 working-hours to build your dream Pembleton. Although we train our employees, finding people with the required skill-set can be an exhaustive process.

Founded in 2015 by John Pitchforth, the Heritage Skills Academy works closely with employers, apprentices, and industry leaders to train the next generation of heritage engineers and promote exciting opportunities within the automotive industry.

pembleton motor company and heritage skills academy learning to use an english wheel — Heritage Skills Academy student working on an English Wheel

"We have worked with education and industry professionals to create and develop an apprenticeship standard which meets the needs of employers, and allows apprentices to develop the skills and attributes needed to thrive and succeed in a growing market.

With the support of the Federation of Historic British Vehicle Clubs, the Galashan Foundation and the Starter Motor Charity, HSA has developed workshop and training facilities dedicated to Heritage Engineering mechanical, coachbuilding and trim apprenticeships. For apprentices lucky enough to become part of Heritage Skills Academy, our locations within Bicester Heritage and Brooklands Museum provide an exciting and vibrant environment which embeds them within the world of specialist engineers, historic engineering and cutting edge technology...

We believe that only by working together can we ensure the skills and knowledge of passionate professionals are not lost."

pembleton t24 craft — Forming the lower flange of a Pembleton T24 which dictates the lower shape of the car

Based out of Bicester Motion formerly Bicester Heritage, we have worked closely with the skills academy to source two apprentices, both from their pioneering 'Coachbuilding and Trim Technician' course. The Level 3 (advanced) Apprenticeship course offers the perfect platform for young heritage engineers who are passionate about the automotive industry to receive the specific training and skill-set required to work with Pembleton, whilst we offer the perfect industry experience to hone their skills learned at the academy.

The course lasts 36 months split between our Pembleton workshop and Brooklands Museum. Our apprentice will spend 5 or 6 weeks learning and training with us before spending one week at the Brooklands Museum for specific training in fields such as welding, forming, fabrication and many more.

James is our current apprentice and much like the rest of our team has grown up locally to Pembleton. A deep rooted passion for the motor industry and historic motoring stems from regular visits to the historic Shelsely Walsh Hillclimb where he is now a member of their Midland Automobile Club.

"Working with Pembleton day to day has allowed me to raise the levels of my skills and that has been greatly complimented by my placement weeks at Brooklands Museum with the heritage skills academy (HSA). The weeks spent away with HSA have allowed me to bring a better outlook on my day to day work at Pembleton, ensuring that I’m keeping to the quality standard we have set as a company. It is a fantastic opportunity to learn traditional techniques and methods and bringing them (with a modern twist) to the builds on a daily basis."

pembleton apprentice working on a pembleton v-sport — Pembleton V-Sport in build

We're proud partners of the Heritage Skills Academy and we believe in the importance of educating and teaching the next generation of enthusiastic automotive craftspeople and technicians allowing companies like Pembleton and the wider industry that is so important to Britains rich automotive heritage to thrive and grow through future generations.