December/January 2022

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022 AFTERMARKET 13 believed skills are the key factor: “If the past two years of struggles are anything to go by, then clearly the aftermarket has some very interesting times ahead. There are, of course, opportunities, such as the ageing car parc, which is certainly resulting in an increase in work, especially for NTDA members engaged in MOT and servicing and repair, but with that increase comes more challenges and the greatest is, undoubtably, skills-related. “I have often heard it said, that thanks to Brexit, we’ve lost all of our EU workers, and that’s why we have such a skills shortage. However, the truth of the matter is that our sector, like most sectors, has for decades failed to invest in skills development. In a 2019 Employer Skills Survey published in October 2020, the UK Parliament’s Education Committee found that UK employer-led training had declined by half since the 1990s, with 39% of employers admitting to not training any of their staff in the previous year. This lack of training is one of the main reasons for the UK’s poor productivity performance and why skills shortages will continue to persist for decades to come, especially in increasingly technical sectors like ours. “We need long-term fair employment and diverse labour market solutions now and professional tyre and automotive technicians must be respected and financially rewarded for their experience and hard work. As I have consistently said, they are the people, out there day-after-day, keeping the UK moving. We can’t afford to lose them to online retailers to work as delivery drivers because they get paid more to drop off parcels than to use their technical skills to service or repair a vehicle. It is simply unacceptable.” Looking at the wider context he said: “Supply chain issues, caused by a number of well-reported factors, have also had a significant impact on the availability of tyres and other automotive parts, forcing businesses to take a serious look at how reliant they have become on imports. With the UK government remaining committed to moving towards a more ‘green’ and circular economy, many opportunities are developing for companies to become more socially responsible in how they run their businesses and procure products.” Stefan added: “I like to think of the UK automotive aftermarket as a community, and now more than ever we have an opportunity to pull together and start creating a partnership-driven, wealthy, fit-for-purpose and sustainable community for the future.” Perfect storm As far as IAAF Chief Executive Mark Field is concerned, ‘expect the unexpected’ should be the motto for the next 12 months: “It may sound boring that 2022 will bring about ‘more of the same’, but given the unprecedented years of 2020 and 2021, we can be forgiven for accepting an unpredicted outlook as the norm. Going into 2022 will be just that, with the global supply chain continuing to face pressures. These issues have ramifications closer to home, particularly with the peak of MOTs moving from March, April and May and into September, October and November. “Garages have had to adjust accordingly, and it will take time to settle. The current vehicle market is growing in size and age, and this benefits the automotive aftermarket, helped largely by the semiconductor chip shortage, which could last well into 2023. The EV market, while growing, is not dominant and the purchase price of such vehicles is arguably more off-putting for consumers than concerns over range or charging infrastructure. “It’s a time when both external factor and market forces combine to create the ‘perfect storm’ for our sector; Supply chain disruptions, restricted labour markets, and rising costs to name but three. The issue of a skills shortage is not a new one. It has been a long time coming and we will need to do more to encourage new people into our trade, but also reward those looking to pursue a career in the sector.” Investment Investment will be key for garages said Mark: “The IAAF’s recent industry briefing highlighted the investment made by vehicle manufacturers in software, as vehicles become ever more complex. This has been happening for some time and we are seeing these vehicles reach the aftermarket, highlighting the evolving role of diagnostic tools and cloud-based services.” Mark concluded: “Going forward, a repairer’s activity will be concentrating around providing services via the laptop, focusing on ADAS, mobile repairs and access to data. If we can embrace change, invest in people, skills and technology, we will be equipped to meet the needs of an evolving vehicle parc in the decades to come.” www.aftermarketonline.net Technicians must be respected and financially rewarded for their experience and hard work ” %$" $ !"#$%& GDI Injector %#% $ # $% Cleaner % $ $ % " $ % # " $ $ # # Email: info@kalimex.co Call: For more information: % . uk