With a life-long interest in cars, Mandla Ndhlovu’s automotive career has spanned almost two decades, beginning as a vehicle technician apprentice for Ford in Lincolnshire. This position saw Mandla awarded the coveted national “Ford Apprentice of the Year” title in 2002 and, once qualified, led to a role as Senior Diagnostic Technician across the Ford, Hyundai and Subaru brands.

Seeing the shortfall in skills of people entering the automotive industry, and looking to enhance his career, in 2008 Mandla made the transition into the education sector, as a Motor Vehicle Lecturer at Boston College.

During this time, Mandla was tasked with project managing the design, and build, of a satellite Motor Vehicle centre in Spalding for Boston College. This project was successfully completed, and Mandla delivered 94% learner success rates in year one, and 96% in year 2, with 100% learner satisfaction scores across both years.  Whilst with the collage Mandla was also appointed to sit on the College’s Board of Governors, inputting into strategic decisions concerning the running of the college.

With his ability to deliver a high success rate, Mandla was headhunted to take up the position of Programme Manager (later Head of School) of the struggling Milton Keynes Motor Vehicle department. In his first year Mandla increased learner success rate by 31% to 82%, rising to 89% the following year, and he was 1 of 4 middle managers selected for a 360-degree leadership and development programme that earmarked future college senior leadership potential.

Keen to secure MOT Training as a commercial offering for Milton Keynes College, Mandla attended a DVSA trade meeting, where he met Gavin White, Managing Director of Autotech Recruit Ltd. Gavin subsequently contacted Mandla when he began developing Apprentice and Training arms of Autotech Recruit, and Mandla came on board to head up these new divisions in 2016. Since then Autotech Recruit has become only automotive recruitment company in the UK to be accredited by a national awarding body for delivering MOT related training.