- Participants challenged to restore a 1969 MG Midget to MOT standard using iconic Haynes Manuals
- Haynes Mechanix will run its innovative scheme at Prospex youth club, Islington, for the next 10 weeks
- All participants will be working towards Edexcell qualifications in car mechanics and personal development
London, 8 December 2014: Haynes Publishing has launched its second Haynes Mechanix project following a successful pilot in early 2014.
The project will see a group of 8 young people aged 15-25 with no prior car mechanic experience challenged to bring an out of commission 1969 MG Midget up to the level to pass its MOT using iconic Haynes manuals as their guide.
The pilot scheme ran from April to August 2014 and saw the 12 participants bring “Percy” the Volkswagen Polo through his MOT and achieving a City and Guilds Qualification in Employability and Personal Development. Two of the participants are now considering a career in mechanics as a result of the scheme.
The second edition of the programme will also have an educational aspect with the students working towards gaining a certificate from Edexcell in car Mechanics and another in personal development.
The ten week programme is taking place at Propex Youth Club in Islington in cooperation with Hyde Housing Association and Draper Tools and is designed to give the participants practical skills in car maintenance while providing a valuable qualification to take into the job market.
Speaking at the launch event, Haynes Publishing Chairman J Haynes said: “The primary purpose of the Haynes Mechanix educational programme is to give young people belief in themselves. Participants achieve this by developing an understanding of mechanics, and then applying that knowledge in a practical way. In addition to the confidence that comes with developing practical skills, those taking part have the opportunity to gain qualifications that improve their employment prospects while also learning essential life skills. The pilot project was a great success, and Haynes is currently looking at ways we can partner with more organisations and youth clubs to extend the reach of this programme.”
Richard Frankland, Youth Services Manager at Prospex said: “It is exciting to be starting this second project to build on the success of the pilot; we hope that this will become a rolling programme for young people in Islington. The MG will be a challenge as it has sat unstarted for a number of years but that makes it more satisfying when they get it working.”
Clive Richardson, Marketing Director at Draper Tools: “After the success of the first Haynes Mechanix initiative, we were delighted to learn that there was a second one in store. It is such a worthwhile project and we’re very happy to be continuing our involvement with the supply of tools to kit out the workshop. It feels very rewarding knowing that our tools will be used to help young people to acquire useful skills for life and earn a valuable qualification.
“If the Haynes Mechanix pilot is anything to go by - we’re sure this second project will be a huge success and enjoyed by everyone involved, especially the team of young people. We can’t wait to see their efforts and witness the MG Midget’s transformation.”
About Haynes Publishing
Haynes Publishing Group is the worldwide market leader in the production, publication and sale of automotive and motorcycle repair manuals. Floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1979, Haynes serves two distinct markets – the DIY customer through its Owners Workshop Manual and the automotive professional repair market through HaynesPro.
All manuals reflect the same ‘hands on’ and personal approach – the in-house Haynes team takes extensive photographs and notes, describing the process, whilst also telling the truth about how hard or easy the full procedure is. For a car manual, it takes three to six months from the start of a project to the final publication; writing the text alone takes 20 to 30 man weeks.
www.Haynes.co.uk
It has been there for 30 years, so it is going to be a massive event. To mark the occasion, they are planning a closing party to end all closing parties. It'll take place across all 5 floors of the amazing building - spilling onto the pavements and streets outside!
