The IMI has urged the industry not to let the economic downturn reduce focus on EV training.
Its data has revealed that 16% of the sector is now IMI TechSafe qualified, with more than 11,500 technicians undergoing the training in the first nine months of 2022. However, it has noticed that the pace of training is waning.
Steve Nash, CEO, said, “As of the third quarter of 2022 there were 36,000 EV qualified technicians eligible for IMI TechSafe accreditation. The sector should be very proud of how it has responded to the call for EV upskilling. However, we are now in a dangerous place in terms of continued commitment to skills matched to EV adoption.”
He said that although demand for EVs is slowing, the industry would be wrong to become complacent and think the pressure to upskill has been reduced.
Steve continued, “The last thing we need now is for the sector to believe it has more time to get the workforce properly skilled. The reality is the automotive aftermarket already faces high employment replacement demand caused by an aging workforce, migration and occupation mobility. The uptake of automotive apprenticeships also has not caught up with pre-pandemic levels.
“There is, therefore, no time to waste. It is crucial the sector continues to train and skill its workforce at significant rates. But with current economic pressures there is concern that training budgets will be the first to be cut.”
