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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2020 AFTERMARKET 37 www.aftermarketonline.net taste of the industry, while also offering apprenticeships in conjunction with local training organisation, PM Training. We want to build a strong team at Klarius, and young people are a key component of this.” He added: “The industry is moving so quickly at the moment; the automotive sector is already experiencing huge technological leaps forward. By offering consistent training and apprenticeship opportunities we not only ensure that our business stays up to speed, but also the garages and distribution chain.” Ongoing training It’s not just about training individuals though, or just training once. According to Mandla Ndhlovu, Head of Training and Apprentice at Autotech Recruit, businesses need to create an ongoing training culture to remain competitive in the automotive aftermarket: “The rapid acceleration of the automotive industry has largely left the skill set of the current workforce behind. Faced with increasing demand from consumers and advances in technology, the automotive aftermarket is under strain and developing the skills of employees is often a low priority. “However, while emphasis is being placed on creating a strong pipeline of talent to manage the future of the automotive aftermarket, building a culture of ongoing training to ensure present employees remain as relevant, and as agile, as the evolving industry in which they work in is vital. It isn’t just an industry prerequisite either, the present workforce is demanding it: “Following a survey of over 500 of our own contract vehicle technicians, 70% stated that one of the contributing factors to looking for a new role was because of broken promises regarding training. In fact, it features very close to money on the list of key ingredients for a new job. “While facing mounting pressure to train existing workers, employers within the automotive aftermarket often have to manage the financial impact on their business due to releasing technicians to attend training courses, as this results in lost labour sales to the tune of up to £3,000 per day for some large workshops.” Go virtual To counteract this predicament, there are now a number of ways in which vehicle technicians can train and hone their skill set, for instance, virtual training is gaining traction. Mandla observed: “As an online resource, this provides a more cost-effective solution to technicians attending traditional courses far from their place of work as it means training can be carried out within the business itself, so fewer working hours are lost and the cost of travel is eliminated. “Likewise, providers can now deliver courses on-site. For instance, we have recently launched a training course to deliver IMI recognised Level 2 and Level 3 Electric Vehicle and Hybrid training. Less than 5% of vehicle technicians have had any form of hybrid or electric vehicle training, which is alarming considering the government are incentivising early adoption of alternatively fuelled vehicles and banning all new car sales that have an internal combustion engine from 2040. Having the ability to bring an electric vehicle on-site with a dedicated trainer will not only equip technicians with the necessary expertise but enable workshops to stay ahead of the competition. In addition to new training provisions, all vehicle technicians should have access to in-depth, high quality technical courses on key vehicle components to build a fix first time mentality and these are widely available.” Mandla added: “By upskilling the current workforce and taking full advantage of the many training provisions available, we will not only reduce the skills gap but pave the way to creating a strong future for the industry.” www.aftermarketonline.net Below: Klarius is helping technicians and students to keep pace with the ever-changing landscape regarding emission control systems