A UK firm that fixes smartphones is calling for an official device repair apprenticeship to be introduced.

TMT First, which introduced its own apprenticeship after struggling to find staff, points out there is no industry training standard.

In 2022 there were almost 72 million mobile phone connections in use in the UK.

By contrast, there are 33 million cars on UK roads – and mechanics train on nationally recognised apprenticeships.

This film is from Click – the BBC’s flagship technology programme.

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Around 10, 000 broken mobile phones make their way to this repair lab every single month and 1 of the main reasons is

Well I've dropped my phone before and completely shattered it.

And then I dropped it a second time on the same day, and it was completely broken.

you know, one-handed, and I opened it and I dropped it on the ground

My best friend, like, bailed on me the last moment, and I was...

I got super furious, super angry, And because I was on a call with them, and I just hung up on them, and I just smashed my phone on the wall.

The staff here at TMT First in the UK are hard at work trying to repair broken gadgets.

But the company's had trouble recruiting technicians because while there are lots of phone repair courses, there's no industry standard.

There's 33 million cars on the road and there's over 80 million mobile phones out there.

There's an apprenticeship to be a car mechanic but not an apprenticeship to be a repair technician.

So there's already demand today for a mobile device apprenticeship.

To deal with the problem, this firm has set up its own academy for trainees who can soon find themselves in demand.

I'm going shopping or something, everyone is like, are you working on that company?

Can you just tell me how I can fix this device or what's wrong with my software, something is weird.

Experienced technicians can do up to 20 repairs each day and the average repair costs between £150 and

The most common fix is, unsurprisingly, smashed screens.

I will show you how to disassemble and assemble the device back.

And you need to replicate the same process.

I'm going to remember everything, but I will try.

You need a steady hand and plenty of patience.

You also have to wear special accessories to make sure you don't discharge any static, say, from walking on a carpet.

It's taken me about 40 minutes, but I have managed to take the phone apart and put it back together again.

We asked the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education, a UK government agency, whether there are any plans for a phone repair apprenticeship in England.

There is a proposal that's already been developed and fully approved.

What we would need is a group of employers to come forward and take that forward to further develop it.

We would absolutely support them to do that, but we need the employers to be at the centre of it to make sure it's fit for purpose and suits their needs.

Back in the lab, repaired phones are checked and returned to their owners.

TMT First is trying to be more environmentally sound with its repair methods.

It can now replace the screens on some handsets without having to discard the battery in the outside frame as well.

And those phones that really can't be repaired, well, they get taken apart and put in the shredder.

The aim is to get all of the precious metals, which includes gold, out of this shrapnel and then reuse it, possibly in your next mobile phone.


Speaker 0: Around 10, 000 broken mobile phones make their way to this repair lab every single month and 1 of the main reasons is

Speaker 1: we keep dropping them. Oops. Lots of us have a story to tell.

Speaker 2: Well I've dropped my phone before and completely shattered it. And then I dropped it a second time on the same day, and it was completely broken.

Speaker 3: I was coming out

Speaker 4: of a

Speaker 3: club and I was trying to text,

Speaker 4: you know, one-handed, and I opened it and I dropped it on the ground

Speaker 3: and I smashed it.

Speaker 5: My best friend, like, bailed on me the last moment, and I was... I got super furious, super angry, And because I was on a call with them, and I just hung up on them, and I just smashed my phone on the wall.

Speaker 1: The staff here at TMT First in the UK are hard at work trying to repair broken gadgets. But the company's had trouble recruiting technicians because while there are lots of phone repair courses, there's no industry standard.

Speaker 6: There's 33 million cars on the road and there's over 80 million mobile phones out there. There's an apprenticeship to be a car mechanic but not an apprenticeship to be a repair technician. So there's already demand today for a mobile device apprenticeship.

Speaker 1: To deal with the problem, this firm has set up its own academy for trainees who can soon find themselves in demand.

Speaker 7: I'm going shopping or something, everyone is like, are you working on that company? Can you just tell me how I can fix this device or what's wrong with my software, something is weird.

Speaker 1: Experienced technicians can do up to 20 repairs each day and the average repair costs between £150 and

Speaker 0: £200.

Speaker 1: The most common fix is, unsurprisingly, smashed screens.

Speaker 8: So we have here a device where

Speaker 9: I will show you how to disassemble and assemble the device back. Yeah. And you need to replicate the same process. OK. Questions?

Speaker 1: I'm not sure

Speaker 0: I'm going to remember everything, but I will try.

Speaker 3: OK. I'll have

Speaker 0: a go.

Speaker 1: This is fiddly. You need a steady hand and plenty of patience. You also have to wear special accessories to make sure you don't discharge any static, say, from walking on a carpet. A small amount can brick a gadget.

Speaker 0: Does it work? Yes! Success! How long did that take me? It's taken me about 40 minutes, but I have managed to take the phone apart and put it back together again.

Wow.

Speaker 1: Do I get the

Speaker 9: job? Yes.

Speaker 0: I do! Fantastic! Are you sure? Yeah.

Speaker 1: We asked the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education, a UK government agency, whether there are any plans for a phone repair apprenticeship in England.

Speaker 10: There is a proposal that's already been developed and fully approved. What we would need is a group of employers to come forward and take that forward to further develop it. We would absolutely support them to do that, but we need the employers to be at the centre of it to make sure it's fit for purpose and suits their needs.

Speaker 1: Back in the lab, repaired phones are checked and returned to their owners. TMT First is trying to be more environmentally sound with its repair methods. It can now replace the screens on some handsets without having to discard the battery in the outside frame as well.

Speaker 0: And those phones that really can't be repaired, well, they get taken apart and put in the shredder.

Speaker 1: The aim is to get all of the precious metals, which includes gold, out of this shrapnel and then reuse it, possibly in your next mobile phone. You

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Do we need to learn how to repair smartphones? - BBC News