home really isn’t an option. It may be choosing the hours they work and when they work to strike a better work life balance. We have contractors working for us who prefer seasonal work so they can spend time indulging their hobbies or working on their other side businesses. People want greater choice today. It’s why there are now over 4.2 million selfemployed workers in the UK.” Freelance revolution So, more freelancers then? Simon continued: “Sparked by the financial crisis and the unemployment that followed, freelancing became one of the biggest trends of the 2010s. At the time, it was a necessity for many but, when the pandemic hit, it became a choice. People had a taste of hybrid working and they wanted more of it. For employers, 64% say that using contractors helps them to address the skills gap, while enabling them to turn the tap on and off as needed when it comes to specialist support. This sentiment fits the automotive industry exactly, and it’s one we have been beating the drum about for over a decade. Using temporary vehicle technicians and MOT testers to cover resource gaps, whether brought on by sick leave, holiday or a lack of available talent, is a solution automotive bosses are tapping into time and again. These contractors are in charge of their own destiny, they know that training and being skilled in the latest automotive technology will help them remain agile and employable. “It’s widely known that the automotive industry is fishing for talent in a rapidly depleting pool. While there are initiatives in place to upskill existing workers and harness a new generation, we also need to look at those who left the sector and lure them back in. So many new contractors who join our ranks left permanent automotive employment to work on wind farms or re-trained as lorry drivers, ‘we wanted to give the automotive industry one last chance,’ is a familiar cry. We need to reach out to the people who did leave and sell the industry to them and the opportunities which now exist, including the potential to contract. Your people are your best advocates and it’s likely that they will no exautomotive employees so use them to pass the message on. It’s an exciting time within the sector and, for those who are prepared to train and bring themselves up to date to service and repair vehicles today, the opportunities are limitless.” Then there is the issue of technology seeming like it is running away from some older workers: “Of course, aside from tempting people back from other sectors, there is another cohort of people that the industry could be tapping into. Technicians who, faced with the evolution of vehicles, opted to retire early rather than upskill, are now starting to return to working and flexibility is key. Rising inflation, and the cost of living crisis is fuelling a reversal of the Great Resignation, people of retirement age who are using flexibility to return to the workforce in ways that work better for them. We need to reach out to these people and bring them back into the automotive industry.” Coming back to the issue of money, this often comes down to having inward regular cashflow: “While contracting is undeniably on the rise, for many, job security can be a real deal breaker. With mortgages to pay and mouths to feed, particularly during the cost of living crisis, taking the plunge to become a contractor can be daunting and bring a host of concerns. It’s why we have recently enhanced our offering to introduce ATech and ATester. A unique blend of freelancing, while having the assurance of full-time employment with guaranteed work. “When we started the business back in 2010, it was a contractor revolution. Freelancing within the automotive industry was relatively unheard of, today while our network continues to grow, demand is outstripping supply and the contracts are becoming more long term. Any fears of not having enough work are unfounded. But to appeal to more people and reach out to those who left the sector in a bid to entice them back, we are offering full-time permanent employment, with all the benefits that entails, and the variety of work that comes with being a 12 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2023 BIG ISSUE www.aftermarketonline.net There is much the government could do to support employers of apprentices ”
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