After a rewarding 30-year career in the automotive industry, Prav Mistry took the plunge to change his career focus and become a trainer of the next generation of engineers. As a robotics and electrical trainer, he’s key to helping our learners build a foundation of knowledge around modern automated systems found throughout the manufacturing industry.
We caught up with him so he could tell us about his career and his experience with us so far!
What was your prior industrial experience before you joined MTC Training?
I started my career at a company that specialised in welding and worked on the likes of the Caterpillar’s excavating buckets.
Whilst welding, I was approached by someone who asked if I’d be interested in working with robots, so I took the opportunity and never looked back! I spent 30 years in the automotive industry, working on different projects, problem-solving and developing production lines, before deciding to train in 2019.
What would you say are your career highlights?
One of my career highlights is definitely being part of the original Ford Mondeo project back in the 1990s. Seeing that project through to full commercialisation was one of my proudest achievements. I’ve also worked on some other iconic cars, like the Nissan Bluebird.
I will always be grateful for being given the opportunity to travel with the variety of projects I’ve worked on, like Yokohama in Japan and several countries in Europe.
Why did you decide to become a trainer?
I stayed in touch with an apprentice I supported in a previous workplace, who became a trainer straight after completing their apprenticeship. Some years later, they spoke to me about considering becoming a trainer. The circumstances weren’t right for me at the time, but it certainly got me thinking about a change.
The introduction of electric vehicles presented transformation type projects, and that inspired me to make the change, it was time to move into another role and pass on my experience. I undertook my Training Assessment and Quality Assurance (TAQA) qualification at another training provider and moved to MTC Training in January 2023.
What do you enjoy most about your training role?
The best thing about my training role is the people here at MTC. Everyone is very helpful and happy to help.
An example of this was the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s visit in May 2023. We had a problem with one of the demonstrator robots in the workshop. With the help of two learners and MTC Training’s Managing Director, we managed to fix the problem when we all worked together. Nothing was beyond us when we all worked as a team.
How is MTC Training different from other training centres?
One of the key things I’ve noticed is that even when MTC Training colleagues don’t know the answer to your question, they’ll do everything they can to find the answer! That sort of culture is quite difficult to come by.
Everyone is very supportive of each other.
What makes a good apprentice?
A good apprentice is someone who throws themselves into the programme, shows an interest and gets onboard, leaving their mobile phone out of sight!
What advice would you give to prospective apprentices?
The best advice I can give is to be inquisitive and prepared to learn. Making mistakes and using your creativity to solve problems is all part of the process of becoming a great engineer, so don’t let failure hold you back.
What advice would you give to any prospective trainers?
Becoming a trainer is very rewarding, you’ll meet lots of great people and learners, but you’ll also need to be resilient and tolerant! Once you get going, it’s a very enjoyable role.