The evidence is clear. Research by the IMI in its Automotive Sector 20212031 report suggests that the skills gap facing the UK motor industry is, in fact, a chasm. It is also getting wider, with skills shortages affecting many types of roles and levels of seniority. There’s no doubt that action is urgently required, but what sort of action? And how can the industry turn this threat into an opportunity to increase its appeal and strengthen its foundations as a career for the future? The experience exodus The IMI’s report forecasts that by 2031, 160,000 vacancies will need to be filled. But rather than being due to growth in the automotive sector creating more jobs, many of those vacancies will be due to posts becoming empty as skilled workers retire, move to other sectors or as workers from overseas return home. The Covid-19 pandemic pushed more people into taking early retirement, triggering the so-called “grey resignation”. Now the issue could be exacerbated as one in five owners of independent motor traders are nearing retirement age, according to research by GiPA. the market intelligence company, which potentially raises succession and knowledge transfer issues. As older people leave the workforce, there’s a risk that valuable expertise could be lost. After all, this is an industry where learning on the job from experienced colleagues has traditionally played a big part in career development. Of course, most workshops carry out formal training, but managers should ask themselves whether they are doing so often and extensively enough to offset the experience exodus. Already, workshops report that their biggest challenge is finding qualified technicians, something that will only get worse as talent leaves the industry. So it’s vital that older workers who might be considering retiring early are encouraged and incentivised to stay, 18 AFTERMARKET MAY 2024 BUSINESS www.aftermarketonline.net FIXING SKILLS SHORTAGES Will the growing skills crisis in the automotive sector offer a bridge to draw participation from a much wider pool of candidates? BY David Valentyne, Business Development Manager, TotalEnergies Marketing UK
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