The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has won a bid for £3 million of Government funding towards skills development in the UK’s automotive industry.

The funds have been secured for the motor retail sector as part of phase two of the Government’s Employer Investment Fund (EIF) to deliver projects to boost enterprise, jobs and growth.

Following a competitive bid process, the IMI, the motor industry’s Sector Skills Council, has secured investment for all six streams of work submitted for consideration by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES).

The investment will be used for:

• Making and winning the economic argument for employer investment in skills
• Increasing current competence levels developing a new approach to up-skilling the automotive technician population
• Developing an infrastructure to improve the levels of management and leadership capability in the sector
• Expanding and embedding the automotive sector’s Professional Register as the voluntary license to practice
• Attracting and retaining talent in the sector – educate careers teachers and practitioners on opportunities in the modern automotive retail sector
• Development of a 14-16-year-old automotive vocational programme.

Sarah Sillars, IMI’s executive chairman, said: “We are delighted that from a total of 109 bids across 21 SSCs all six requisitions we submitted will receive funding.

“This is a significant achievement for the institute on behalf of the retail automotive industry and acknowledges the importance of the sector to the UK economy.

"We are grateful for the support of all the employers who have helped us to achieve this successful outcome.

“Our strategic objectives at the IMI are designed to help the automotive industry improve its image, status, skills and productivity.

With EIF phase two funding we will deliver initiatives that will engage employers and deliver long term commitment to skills investment.”