March 2018

who are trained and qualified to work on low-emission vehicles. Benefits include the fact that businesses would be keen to recruit them in order to allow the business to service and maintain these vehicles, and as we’ve seen lately that the appetite for electric and hybrid vehicles shows no sign of slowing down considering their has been as increase of 35% this year. Businesses must make the investment in training their staff in order to provide them with the skillset that’ll allow them to service customers who own high- voltage vehicles.” Grow your own Is licensing the magic potion that will fix all our problems? Industry consultant Andy Savva isn’t so sure: "I'm all for some kind of licensing, but it has to have meat on the bones, not be just some kind of tick-box exercise. Even if we went down that route, I don't think it would have any significance at all on recruitment. This has been an issue for a few years now. "We have quite a few problems as an industry. Firstly, the push towards university-based futures from 10-15 years ago took almost all of the young talent away. At the same time there was a lack of decent apprenticeships so there were even less young people contemplating a career in automotive, specifically in the garage repair sector. Coupled to that is the lack of upward mobility for those dynamic young people who want to progress and not just stay on the tools or the front desk. Thirdly we pay very low as an industry compared with other sectors.” Do we need to think bigger? “If we don’t raise the status of our industry collectively, then how are we going to recruit the next generation of people regardless what side of the fence you’re sitting," observes Andy. “In Germany you can't own or manage a garage unless you have completed a three-year degree in Automotive Engineering, which combines business modules too. People in these roles are held in the same esteem as solicitors and accountants.” Outside of the lack of careers advice, those working in our educational institutions tend to have a very narrow view of the industry that does not help says Andy: "When I speak at schools and colleges, and I get given a group of youngsters, the teacher usually says something like 'these are the kids that are not going to go to university we thought the motor trade may suit them.’ It's not like that now, it's men in white coats. There is probably more computer power in a car now than in most general offices, but people don't look at it like that. “The outside world seems to think that if you are not academically minded, and there is nothing wrong with that, then the motor industry is fine for you. They are given the impression that it is low skilled career, but it is far from that.” Once someone is in the sector, they are not always handled well either: "At the moment, collectively we have disregarded proper recruitment strategy. How many garage owners understand where recruitment starts from? How do we recruit? Most of them will do the same thing. They will put an ad in the paper or go through a recruitment agency. Now I have nothing against recruiters and there are a handful around the country that offer a wider set of services. I’ve seen at first hand how they are trying to engage with young people at an early stage through a variety of ways up and down the country and I applaud them for this. “On remuneration, most garage owners will then pay the same as everyone else because it is the going rate, or even cap technician salaries regardless of skill, age and knowledge. This attitude limits the pool of people who can attract and usually means a whirlwind of the same people going around for a few hundred quid extra or a couple of hours off during the week.” Andy adds: “We need to be going into schools at an early age, as a collective automotive sector. It's about growing your own and taking on apprentices and nurturing talent and having a proper personal development plan for each individual and providing proper clean facilities with the correct tooling to enable these youngsters to blossom.” All or nothing Glen Shepherd, co-founder at automotive recruitment specialists Glen Callum Associates also thinks technician licensing might help with recruitment, but agrees it would not be the end of the story: “Technician licencing may fulfil the wants of the younger generation by allowing them a career option of a ‘professionally skilled job, recognised nationally with continued professional development and training’, however I believe the key to ensuring awareness of the offering to entry level generations would be wholly determined by the promotion of the licencing scheme. “Having attended many recruitment seminars on ‘attracting the millennial and Gen Y generations’ the consensus of opinion is that younger people are on the whole attracted to careers that offer personal development, training, transparency of duties and ‘an employer that holds and demonstrates good values and ethics.’ Licencing, if promoted correctly via schools, colleges and through successful marketing could aid recruitment from emerging generations into the aftermarket.” How does this help the skill shortage and awareness of those generations already rooted within the workforce though? “The image of the aftermarket doesn’t mirror the actual modernisation that the sector has undertaken. So, how do we address image and increase awareness of the aftermarket offering? My view is to inject new blood into the industry, not necessarily at entry level, but by reaching out to talent within comparable industries that carry similarities such as the industrial and engineering sectors. Introducing the outside world into what the sector has to offer and thereby expanding and utilising skills from other sectors. “Companies are trying to employ from a reducing talent pool of traditionally skilled staff, thus pushing up current salaries and increasing demand. By opening out to new skill sets, albeit within periphery sectors, allows increased awareness of the aftermarket, the introduction of new ideals and ideas and a wider pool of skilled staff from which to engage. 10 AFTERMARKET MARCH 2018 BIG ISSUE Below: The IMI is lobbying for a Licence to Practice for techs working EVs and hybrids www.aftermarketonline.net