A Scottish teenager is following his father into the business of converting VW vans into campers, as he takes on the role of apprentice at an employee-owned firm.
Calum Winter is just 16, but he’s already completed a four-year training programme with Jerba Campervans in North Berwick and is now starting to work for the company having finished school.
Knox Academy, where he studied, encouraged him to apply for the position and pursue a career around his passion for carpentry.
Mr Winter is being mentored by lead carpenter Ian Adkins, and is about to finish his first campervan interior fit out since joining the firm.
He said: “I’ve always liked working with my hands; for years I have been riding and repairing trials motorcycles, and so when I was told about this opportunity I knew this was a great chance for me to pursue this passion of mine further.
“I am discovering new tools and practices that I haven’t used or done before, and cutting, scribing and preparing all the furniture has been a big task which made me a bit nervous at the beginning.
“However, Ian has been supporting me every step of the way, so I’ve been getting to grips with things relatively quickly.”
The apprentice’s dad, Alan Winter, has been operations manager at Jerba Campervans since 2018, but didn’t know his son had applied for the position until he’d been given the role.
He said he’s very proud of Calum for having secured the job and is pleased he’s getting an opportunity to learn and develop the craft.
The young Mr Winter expressed how good it feels to build vehicles that fulfil the dreams of those who buy them.
Jerba Campervans is the only business in Scotland officially recognised by Volkswagen as a Motorhome Qualified Converter.
