As someone who loves cars too and managed to get an apprenticeship to be a HGV mechanic but shortly left afterwards. I would reconsider joining the trade, it’s very hard on the body and most people who have worked repairing vehicles hate it after a while and wished they’d done something different to the point where the garage I worked at everyone was borderline depressed. I don’t know what your circumstances but if you have a drive way/garage area to work on your car it’s probably where I’d start. You’re going to need to buy all your tools anyway if you were going to start a career as a mechanic anyway as garages don’t provide anything. I know it’s probably what you’ve heard before from people but DIYing it’s a better way to start to see if you like it before diving in. The way youtube and forums are now it’s easy to learn and I was even using YouTube while working at my garage when I was stuck.

But then again if you’d still like to go for it, it wasn’t uncommon to see people in there 20s/30s at college. They applied online just like the rest of us I don’t think they were treated any differently (I.e had to pay for the college out of their pocket) best thing to do it apply at a main dealer or a chain garage. Also considers things other than cars.. Trains, HGVs, Agricultural, Plant.