‘I enjoy working on the buses that come in and the problem-solving that it sometimes involves’

How I did it Paul Murray (21)

Apprentice heavy vehicle mechanic with Bus Éireann, from Coolmine, Dublin I HAVE always been interested in mechanics and when I was younger I used to trick around with cars. I was never very good at the whole book thing in school, so my parents pushed me towards making a career out of something that I like.

By chance, I saw that Bus Éireann were hiring and I decided to give it a go. I work in the Broadstone bus garage, and it is mostly servicing and preventive maintenance. Most of the time I am working with a mechanic.

The foreman might also ask me to do some jobs, but someone always comes to check it afterwards.

We have to ensure that the buses are in good working order. We usually do a general service.

We would service the brakes, and check on the suspension and the oils. The tyres are checked and if they are below tolerance, they are changed. I am delighted that I chose this job. I enjoy working on the buses that come in and the problem-solving that it sometimes involves. It can be a challenging job in that way.

There is a lot of job satisfaction when something comes in and it is not working. You fix it and then it is working again.

I hope to qualify in 2020, and I will be a qualified HGV mechanic. I am not guaranteed a job here when I finish my apprenticeship.

If I am not offered a position by Bus Éireann, I hope to be offered a job somewhere else.

I could work with trucks as well as buses. As well as on-the-job training I have gone to college at Athlone IT and IT Tallaght [now Technological University Dublin].