Automotive Courses
The UK market for automotive services is worth an estimated £16 bn. As the number of cars on UK roads increases, due in part to declining prices on new cars, spending on automotive services continues to pick up.
Car-servicing, the largest sector is highly competitive and struggling with bad publicity and customer complaints as a result of poor levels of repair work from some garages. To address the problem, the BSI launched its kitemark for garages, but not enough voluntary participation is expected to bring on formal regulation for car repairers in the near future. In contrast, the national Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) scheme launched by the IMI has over 7,000 accredited technicians in the UK.
The IMI wants to continue to develop the professional competency and skills level of the industry further with management training and apprenticeship. Management is a real weakness for the sector, with only 14% of managers holding a Level 4 qualification (S/NVQ Level 4).
Recruitment is also tough, forcing the target for apprenticeships to 40,000 by 2013. This will ensure that the workforce remains sufficiently qualified to handle future vehicle technology and can deliver the customer service so much in demand. Unless the number of apprentices joining the retail motor industry is increased, the sector is likely to experience long-term staff shortages.
For more information on the Automotive sector please search the Automotive Skills website http://www.motor.org.uk/