December/January 2022

Vehicle Block Exemption rules and how they may be developed and maintained in the UK beyond 2023. These rules cover a number of critical areas of importance to the aftermarket including the use of a variety of spare parts, access to repair and maintenance information as well as the freedom to service vehicles within the warranty period.” Peter concluded: “There are a variety of mechanisms which may be able to safeguard these provisions, and SMMT is working with government to make the existing Type Approval requirements on access to repair and maintenance information workable in a UK context.” Knock-on effects IGA Head of Member Services Frank Harvey said: “2022 will hopefully be less disrupted by COVID-19 restrictions than the previous two years, however we are likely to see the knock-on effects throughout the coming year and beyond. “Some of the issues that have been bubbling away for some time will come to a head, most significantly the chronic shortage of quality, skilled technicians and other vital staff. Couple this with supply chain issues and the ‘me too’ rush to EV ownership, and we are likely to see some familiar and some fresh challenges for the sector in 2022. The aforementioned staff shortage will impact on operating costs, as businesses increase salaries and benefits for existing staff to retain their services. For many, this will mean that at least some of these costs will inevitably have to be passed on to the customer.” On the MOT, he observed: “We are all aware that MOT demand will continue to dip in quarter two and peak again in quarter three, and it is likely the sector will need some government support in the dip to ensure businesses remain viable and staff positions are safe to get through to the peak demand times.” Investment Then there is training, and specialisation: “Training will become more important over the coming year and beyond, especially as the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption regulations come to an end in 2023 and vehicle technology continues its exponential rise. The investment in training is likely to be matched with the need to invest in specialist tooling and diagnostic equipment, so local independent garages can keep pace with the changing needs of their customers. “As an industry we are already beginning to see the green shoots of specialisation, with some garages having a business split between B2C and B2B services as they provide elements of specialist support to other garages. How garages interact with the upcoming new generations of customer will be vital for their continued growth. The digital generation are now becoming drivers and vehicle owners, and all but expect to be able to run their lives from their devices. An online presence has never been more important for garages and managing their online profile will have to become part of the business plan.” Frank concluded: ”Dinosaurs have long been cited as the ‘adapt or die’ metaphor and I have no doubt that, by and large, this does not apply to the independent garage sector. However, standing still cannot be an option and any business, in whatever sector, must always keep how they do what they do under review to ensure they remain agile and current in a fast-moving industry.” IMI CEO Steve Nash believes 2022 will be “pivotal” in getting the aftermarket future-proofed for the automotive revolution: “This time last year I wrote for Aftermarket that our sector needed to focus on the long-game. In 2020 many businesses retrenched. Jobs were cut, plans for retraining and upskilling were put on hold and recruitment, especially of apprentices, was pretty much frozen. Unfortunately, that retrenchment didn’t change that much in 2021, despite the fact that the automotive sector actually experienced something of a renaissance, albeit against a backdrop of massive vehicle supply issues. “So, from the IMI’s perspective, while some organisations really took the bull by the horns to get their businesses fit for purpose for the technological revolution, many did not. As I write, apprentice recruitment for 2021 is still 39% below 2019. With an honest and hard look at the age profile of the sector, clearly new blood needs to come in to ensure we stay fit for purpose. Upskilling and retraining is also critical. “The sector really does now face a pivotal moment. Our latest analysis shows that, if serious effort isn’t put into EV training and upskilling as a matter of urgency we could 10 AFTERMARKET DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022 BIG ISSUE www.aftermarketonline.net face a 35,700 shortfall in technicians qualified to work on electric vehicles by 2030. That’s without accounting for the fact that the pace of EV adoption is accelerating, which could make the gap even bigger. “The big challenge, however, is to ensure that the time and investment is given to training and skills development on new technologies, alongside the day job. Digitalisation has been an enabler in the last 18 months, from online learning to remote customer engagement. The IMI VOCANTO partnership takes that a step further, revolutionising learning with over 400 interactive learning units, covering light and electric vehicle technology. Mobile-accessible, each unit typically takes between just 5- 15 minutes to complete and gamification motivates learners.” Rounding up, Steve added: “I feel exceptionally positive about the opportunities that 2022 will bring. Automotive is a sector that has re-invented itself several times and a future that includes connected and autonomous motoring as well as all the environmental benefits of new drive-