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Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting? #

Posted by Peter Warman on January 17, 2018, 12:33 pm
Edited by board administrator January 23, 2018, 2:34 pm

From the article today in the Motor Trader it looks like there is a shortage of skilled Automotive Technicians. Has the reality finally hit home?

We need some serious promotion by the Government and Trade Bodies that the Automotive Technician is a highly skilled job especially with the onslaught of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles

Article from the Motor Trader Magazine:

"Demand for vehicle technicians continues to outstrip supply and the pool of fully proficient, trained candidates is dwindling.

That’s the view of Autotech Recruit which said the problem had got worse over the past year, was now UK-wide and will be exacerbated by Brexit.

“In 2016 pockets of the country were feeling the pinch with the skills shortage. However, in 2017, garages across the whole of the UK felt the strain. Unless financial provisions are made for training soon, this deficit in skills will deepen,” said Autotech Recruit MD Gavin White.

Dealer groups Pendragon, Inchcape and Arnold Clark are among those dealer groups who have made serious moves to recruit technicians over the past 12 months and the IMI has lobbied government to invest in training to deal with the shortage of electric vehicle technicians.

White said rising new car sales in recent years had created a bigger car parc and a surge in demand for technicians and MoT staff.

“Garage owners have realised the financial implications of having an un-manned MOT station and are taking on temporary, highly skilled, technicians to avoid any losses,” he said.

“With Brexit likely to impact the stream of migrant workers the industry has relied upon in previous years, motor industry bosses should be doing more to safeguard their current workforce and offer training provisions to retain their current workforce.”

He accused the Apprenticeship levy of damaging recruitment across all industries.

“While retaining current workforce is undoubtedly essential, so too is the need to develop and nurture young, home-grown talent. Over the years apprenticeships have been a route to harness the flexible, highly skilled and productive workforce for the future. However, since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy last year, the number of apprentices entering schemes across all UK industries has dropped by almost 57%,” he said."

UKAT

Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?

Posted by Graham Bullock on January 17, 2018, 8:12 pm, in reply to "Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?"
Graham Bullock

It's all doom and gloom. But who's is to blame?

Arnold Clark launches recruitment drive for 200 technicians

Ford looks for 1,000 trained technicians across UK

Pendragon raises basic pay for technicians across all grades

Inchcape overhauls technician pay to attract new staff

"Pendragon, Inchcape and Arnold Clark have made serious moves to recruit technicians" Why haven't they been making serious moves to train apprentices?

This one is from back in 2002. Meanwhile I regularly see jobs advertised for qualified technicians, mot tester preferred - pay £23,000 to £28,000. My brother gets £28,000 plus bonus for mending Tv's, excellent working conditions, four days on four days off, all tools supplied.

Skill shortage will set wages soaring

Graham

Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?

Posted by Antony Powell on January 18, 2018, 9:02 am, in reply to "Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?"

So the bigger companies who charge the earth and with loads more money will just end up creaming off all the good staff who go for the wage.

That leaves the little guy to employ the numptys and struggle to pay basic money.

But in the mean time no one trains apprentices !!!

What's changed ??

Link: specialist seized injector and glow plug removal services

Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?

Posted by andrew young on January 18, 2018, 10:22 am, in reply to "Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?"
Andrew Young

I visit a fair few indy garages on my travels ,and all are finding it very difficult to recruit decent staff.Most of the youngsters that have been trained on some kind of apprenticeship scheme want to move on to a different trade that gets more money for less aggravation.As an indication,our local tech college,which had a major rebuild about 10 years ago ,with a state of the art motor vehicle division and workshop,has closed down.This would appear to be where we are going in this industry,down the plug hole,and fairly quickly.The future is not bright.On another note,how many new cars will be fixable in 5 years time.?They will become uneconomic repair and will be assigned to the trash.Why do we need to know how to fix them?

Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?

Posted by Phil Cake on January 23, 2018, 1:22 pm, in reply to "Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?"
Phil Cake

I have been searching for M.V.Tech/M.O.T. tester
and a level 2 or 3 since last may using Indeed
and a month with Jobsite which was expensive and useless.Got 4 applicants who were not qualified and also never been in the trade.I have daily alerts of new C.V.'s being posted for Portsmouth area and all the best ones live too far away.

I also have daily alerts set up for Jobs being posted and that is normally 6 new ones a day from
Main Dealers, car super markets,nationals and independents and the old ones still not filled.
The old saying "Just can't get the staff " is worse now than 32 years ago when i opened up.

Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?

Posted by Simon Kefford on January 23, 2018, 5:47 pm, in reply to "Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?"
Simon Kefford

Dont get me started.

I have given up trying to recruit.

I have downsized my business instead.

5 years - wasted... time - money on trying to find someone. Lots of wannabees.

Still if you are any good your boss wont let you go.

This is the beginning of the end of the independent motor-trade. IMO

In 10yrs if not sooner. cars will self diagnose, wont be "owned" and wont wear out.

The tech will beyond our reach and for most of us our understanding.

Boo Hoo....

S

Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?

Posted by Ian Baxter on January 24, 2018, 10:56 am, in reply to "Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?"

This must have been a similar feeling for many Black-Smiths, when these new fangled machines called "The Automobile" first made an appearance.

Maybe we are becoming the "Black Smith's" of our time
Ian

Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?

Posted by Simon Kefford on January 24, 2018, 4:10 pm, in reply to "Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?"
Simon Kefford

Artisan sculpture made by ancient Hipster mechanic from old car parts anyone?

Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?

Posted by Keith Simpson on January 26, 2018, 10:25 am, in reply to "Re: Shortage of skilled Technicians - Anyone having problems recruiting?"

Yes the trade is on it's knees, techs should have been licensed to work on cars 50 years ago. I'm glad I'll be out of it pretty soon.

Keith

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