Ref. 29609-11KAMTORN Ridgers has dreams of becoming a mechanic but he claims employees are refusing to look beyond his date of birth.

At 24, he claims that he's not the usual age of apprentices but he insists he has a lot to offer a prospective boss.

Kamtorn of Wroughton, desperately wants to enter the world of grease and engine oil.

But his age is proving to be a real hurdle with many employers preferring younger blood.

"It is so frustrating because I am totally focussed on becoming a mechanic," he said.

"I just need somebody to give me a chance to prove what I can do.

"After seven years of soul searching I have finally realised that mechanics is for me. I can forget about my problems when I'm tinkering with an engine."

Kamtorn looked into enrolling on a mechanics course at Swindon College but he says his dire financial situation demands a full-time wage packet. He said: "I cannot afford to take time away from work to train, which is why an apprenticeship would suit me.

"I applied to Honda but they refused me because I haven't the experience. Do I really need experience to learn what they are going to teach me?

"It seems that people like me are classed as 'unteachable'.

"Is there anybody out there in Swindon who will give me the chance to do what I passionately want to do?"

Kamtorn, who grew up in Chippenham, left school in 1997 with two GCSEs in maths and English.

He then went to Chippenham College where he enrolled on a mechanics course.

In order to keep his options open he also signed up to an NVQ performing arts course.

Due to financial problems, however, he was forced to quit halfway through the courses.

A series of dead end jobs followed before he decided to quit Wiltshire for Bedfordshire where he hoped to find work in his chosen field.

Instead, the only position he could find was as a sales advisor for Orange. This fuelled his desire to make a career.

He said: "Last month I decided to move to Swindon because at the time I thought I'd have a better chance of finding a job in mechanics.

"But I've been everywhere, ringing up garages and searching the net, but have found nothing."

Paul Stapleton, work-based learning manager at Swindon College, said mature apprentices made better students.

"We strongly encourage older applicants for our courses and in my experience they are more mature," he added.

"Of the 280 enrolled on mechanics courses here, more than 80 are aged 19 or above.

"Swindon College is working with a number of local training providers to secure extra funding for over 25s next year."

Paul Ormond, spokesman for Honda, stressed that the firm did not discriminate on the basis of age.

He said: "We look for a willingness to learn and a positive attitude to learning. I would urge those who are not initially successful to stick to their guns and keep going."

If you would like to offer Kamtorn a job, call him on 0797 473 7051.

Kevin Shoesmith