Castrol partners IMI to help independents recruit technicians

New recruitment and skills support schemes for independent garages have been launched by oil firm Castrol, its UK distributor The Race Group in partnership with the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).

Independent workshops that are part of the Castrol Service Network can now list their job vacancies as ‘Castrol Featured Jobs’ on the IMI's ‘find a job’ webpage, which attracts tens of thousands of monthly users.

Company branding and logos are shown alongside the listings for enhanced visibility.

A recent aftermarket survey from service, maintenance and repair network management provider Fleet Assist found that 89% of UK garages see general business overheads and technician availability as their greatest elements of concern.

Castrol and The Race Group are also partnering with ProVQ, an independent, IMI accredited training provider offering high-quality apprenticeship training to students within the Castrol Service Network.

The goal is also to reduce the recruitment burden for businesses within the Castrol Service network by pairing them with capable apprentices. The scheme will include high-quality training and assistance with applications for government funding. The first student cohort is scheduled to start in September 2025.

Castrol is helping workshops improve their recruitment strategy through a growing library of resources, templates and marketing assets available via its digital marketing platform, Aprimo