JOANNE Frowen once kept her love of engines secret for fear of ridicule.

The 22-year-old female mechanic recently became only the tenth female MOT tester in the UK and is now a finalist in this year's Modern Apprenticeship Awards.

It is not the first time that her skills have won recognition.

During her training, under the supervision of Blaenau Gwent resource centre training division, she won the outstanding achiever award.

After leaving school, Joanne began studying book-keeping for a future career as an accountant.

However, the pull of horsepower won out over the numbers game when she decided her heart was really in the garage workshop.

A long-time car enthusiast, she decided to enroll on a foundation modern apprenticeship in vehicle maintenance and repair at the Blaenau Gwent centre in 2007.

Joanne, of Tredegar, explained how she had been nervous to tell people of her ambition.

"To be a woman mechanic in my area is unheard of, but I've always secretly wanted to be a mechanic and knew it would make me truly happy."

She said the course was very hands-on and gave an introduction to skills such as car maintenance, tyre fitting and basic servicing. She now had a fantastic future ahead of her thanks to the apprenticeship.

Joanne works full time at David King Tyres.

The Assembley-run Modern Apprenticeship Awards Wales 2008 is organised to showcase modern apprentices, businesses and learning providers that have made outstanding contributions to education and training in Wales.

Winners will be announced on Thursday, 23 October.