The Assessor Mag Autumn 2024 Web - Flipbook - Page 24
JOURNAL
VDA: INTERVIEW
MEET
LISA GRICE
APPRENTICE
VDA AT ACTIVATE
ACCIDENT REPAIR
Lisa Grice, Apprentice Vehicle Damage Assessor
at Activate Accident Repair.
Lisa Grice is an Apprentice Vehicle Damage Assessor (VDA) at Activate Accident Repair
Birmingham. Lisa has worked in multiple roles across her four years in Birmingham
and is now challenging herself to use all the skills and knowledge she’s gained for her
apprenticeship.
Read on to learn more about Lisa’s experiences and why she decided that Activate
Group was the right place for her career…
When did you start at Activate
Group and what role were you
in?
I started in September 2020, and I
was a CSA working front of house in
Activate Accident Repair Birmingham.
What 昀椀rst attracted you to
your initial role within Activate
Group?
I previously worked for Nationwide
Crash Repair, who went into
administration, and many of my
colleagues joined Activate Group as
they opened their 昀椀rst bodyshop in
Birmingham. At the time, I didn’t go
with them as I secured a job elsewhere,
however a year later I was approached
by Mark Neat, the Bodyshop Manager
of Birmingham at the time, to join
the team – I had heard lots of good
things from my old colleagues about
the company, that they’d had good
experiences, so I agreed and became
a CSA.
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Why did you want to progress
within the business?
Before joining Activate Accident Repair
Birmingham, I had worked in the parts
industry, and it was something I was
keen on returning to. After working as
a CSA for a while, I could see that I was
in a good company, and I understood
and agreed with the positive
experiences that my colleagues had
told me about before.
I started to think more about my future
working here and what I was most
interested in. I moved into being Parts
Manager when the position became
free, as this is where my 12 years of
working experience lies, and I knew my
expertise in this area would be great
for the business.
This is a male-dominated industry, and
in previous jobs I’ve experienced not
being taken seriously as people have
thought that because I’m a woman, I
naturally wouldn’t have the knowledge
that I do and be good at my job. I’m
happy building my career at Activate
Group because I’ve never experienced
this type of discrimination here – all
my colleagues have supported me
and trusted my knowledge, and the
two VDAs that are helping me with my
apprenticeship now have been nothing
but kind and encouraging!
What steps did you take to
move forward into the role you
wanted?
It’s taken four years of hard work in
the company, and I’ve always been
committed to the role that I was in. I’ve
helped a lot of different departments
with their work, gaining a variety of
experience and building upon my skills
in the process.
I believe that mastering your current
work and showing your commitment to
the company demonstrates that you’re
a valuable member of the business
– those around you will be able to
recognise your abilities and that you’re
THE ASSESSORS JOURNAL | AUTUMN 2024 | www.iaea-online.org/news/the-assessor
