Garage is a girl's world for mechanic Amy

Amy Price left her clean office job to get her hands dirty - and became a mechanic. She talks to Peter Carroll.

It's traditionally considered a male occupation but Amy Price probably knows more about fixing cars than most men.

She's set her heart on qualifying as a Level Three mechanic and has nearly completed her apprenticeship at a Wolverhampton car repair workshop.

She can tackle anything from stripping a clutch to replacing a head gasket - in fact, the bigger the job, the more she likes it.

"I prefer the jobs that you can really get your teeth into," she says.

Amy, aged 26, of Thanet Close, Kingswinford, initially went into office work after leaving the Summerhill School but soon realised she had made a mistake. "I thought: 'This isn't me for the next 40 years'. There are loads of jobs out there and you don't really know what you want to do until you try it."

So she opted for a career change and chose to develop her burgeoning interest in cars by training as a 'grease monkey'.

"It probably stems from when I passed my driving test at the age of 18. I started getting more interested in cars and how they work and it developed from there."

Having been encouraged by her grandfather, himself a motor mechanic, Amy signed up for a vehicle technician course at Wolverhampton College, and is now four months away from completing her Level Three qualification in automotive servicing and repair.

"I did think I'd be the only girl there but there were a few others. A couple have quit but there is another girl on my course."

And having been awarded the student of the year prize last year, Amy would seem to be making good progress.

Certainly her boss Nick Mullender, of NCM Auto Services in Landport Road, near Wolverhampton city centre, is happy with her progress to date: "She does two days a week at college and the rest of the time she works with me. She's keen to learn and it's great to have her here.

"It's a talking point too. I know there are female mechanics out there but I've been in the trade 20 years and I've never met one."

Even when she's not at work Amy still works on cars - so it's lucky that her boyfriend David Malko is a petrolhead too.

She's nearly completed restoring a 1983 Mk III Ford Escort from a shell - and it should be roadworthy in a few weeks' time.

"It's a complete rebuild. I paid to have it professionally resprayed black because I wanted a mint job but I've done most of it myself."

Being a motor mechanic is perhaps not the most feminine of trades and Amy has had to get used to coming home dirty - though she does wear gloves for most jobs to protect her hands.

"There are plenty of other jobs where you get filthy," she points out.

While she would like to try her hand at race-tuning Amy is for now concentrating on completing her qualifications and building up her experience.

"You're always learning at this job - but it gives me a real buzz to carry out a job and know that someone can drive away safely in their car."

In the meantime, her boss is quite happy to let her tackle most tasks at the workshop.

"Amy is particularly popular with our female customers," says Nick, who has run his own business since 2007.

"They find it amazing that she's covered in oil up to her neck and carrying out the work on their car.

"A lot of women don't like garages and are scared of being ripped off. But they feel more at home when they see Amy."