For years, the aftermarket has focused on creating more inclusive workshop environments and encouraging more women into technical roles.

But according to MOT tester Jade Price, one important part of the conversation is still being overlooked: customer perception.

Jade, an MOT tester at Formula One Autocentres in Warrington, has become a recognisable voice online for championing women in the trade. Yet a recent encounter made her stop and rethink where the real barriers still lie.

“I’ve always pushed for more acceptance of females in the industry,” she said in a recent video shared with her followers.

“But something happened today that made me realise the picture is bigger than we thought. It’s not just about businesses evolving. What are customers doing? How do we help them change their perspective?”

For all the progress being made inside workshops, it seems outdated assumptions from the public still surface more often than many would like to admit.

Jade’s concern doesn’t come from theory. It’s rooted in experience.

Derailed plans

Her passion for cars began in childhood, fuelled by weekends spent in her dad’s workshop and inspired by motoring icons like Vicki Butler-Henderson. She entered college determined to qualify as a technician, until a single incident derailed her plans.

At 17, she walked into a local garage asking about apprenticeship opportunities. The response was immediate: laughter from one technician, soon followed by more joining in from the back of the workshop.

Unable to face repeating the experience, she quit her course and stepped away from the industry altogether.

“It didn’t kill my passion,” Jade reflects, “but I lost all confidence. I often wonder if those men would have behaved the same way if it had been their daughter.”

It took ten years, a job at Tesco and a second chance at Warrington Audi to bring her back. With the dealership’s support, she completed her apprenticeship and became a fully-qualified mechanic and MOT tester. She was the first female technician in the company’s history.

Despite progress in training, recruitment and workplace culture, Jade believes there’s still one barrier the industry hasn’t fully addressed: what customers think when they meet a woman in a technical role.

“Some people still don’t believe women should be in the trade,” she says. “I want that mindset to go. I want it to be normal. I want people to walk in and see a technician, not a ‘female technician’.”

The frustration isn’t anger, it’s exhaustion. Many women in the trade talk openly about customer surprise, second-guessing or comments that wouldn’t be aimed at their male colleagues. Often it’s not malicious, but it reinforces a feeling of being “other” in a place they rightfully belong.

Jade’s point is simple: true inclusivity isn’t achieved until customers are on board too.

‘When do we stop making it about whether it’s a man or a woman?’

In her video, Jade is directly challenging the trade:

“When do we stop making it about whether it’s a man or a woman? We’re just people at work. That’s all it should be.”

With recruitment pressures growing and fewer young people entering the trade, creating a welcoming, modern image is vital.

The industry cannot afford to turn away capable talent because of outdated stereotypes, whether they come from inside the workshop or across the service counter.

Is it really still a surprise when a woman works on a car? Tell us what your garage is doing to normalise diversity, or share your frustrations in the comments below.