The Star Higher Education Life in the fast lane

Start your engine and embark on the journey of one of the fastest and most exhilarating jobs in the country – be a member of a pit crew in a professional motorsports team. A pit crew is a team of specially trained mechanics who work on performance cars before and during the race. There can be a total of five to 29 members, all assigned with specific roles.

Most pit stops take less than seven seconds and the pit crews put in hours of practice to improve their technique for the sake of cutting down crucial tenths of second of their best times. The more time saved during lapses for pit stops, the further a step towards winning the race. This makes professional pit crew services the highest contributor in a race, making their job one that pays very well.

However, it is not all about money and glamour. Implying a combination of pure wit and skill, crew members risk their lives as there are many hazards on the track. So how do you go about entering the motorsports arena? The first thing is to sign up for a recognised training programme.

The Otomotif College (TOC) boasts of a 100% job placement success rate. Students get access to state-of-the-art learning from the college’s in-house Chassis Dynamometer where they will learn engine tuning and the set-up and aerodynamics of race cars. They also gain invaluable experience through two supervised industrial training sessions of 10 weeks each and a six-month internship. If you are wondering about the graduates’ ability to handle work once they enter the job market, TOC motorsport students do benefit with exposure to international events such as the annual F1 race, go-kart competitions and hands-on experience on the latest automotive models in the market.

Established in 2005, TOC produces highly competent and qualified automotive specialists to meet the needs of the automotive and motorsport industry.

During the course, students are placed with one of more than 600 training venue partners to enhance their experiential learning. There are over 1000 students with about 20% from different parts of the world. TOC offers the Diploma in Motorsport Technology and the Diploma in Automotive Technology where students can continue on to degree level from renowned universities in Britain, South Korea or New Zealand.

To assist students in their career search, TOC organises the unique OTTO Camp (Open Day) every now and then where students will get first-hand experience on automotive work, listen to career talks by experienced personnel, get a campus tour and one-on-one career counselling.