The Institute for the Motor Industry (IMI) will offer advice at AM Live on how the industry can work towards filling the skills gap caused by a lack of technicians on new vehicle technologies like EVs, autonomous and connected vehicles.

Tickets for AM Live are free for automotive professionals from the franchised and independent sector and the event is back at the Birmingham NEC once again this week on Thursday, November 9.

The dedicated session looking at skills and recruitment is sponsored by Indeed and Thomas Wilson, senior sales director at the recruitment and job listings specialist, will also share key insights and thoughts on how the sector can set itself up for success in the future.

ACES – Autonomous, Connected, Electric and Shared, is an area of automotive that is rapidly evolving and placing increasing demands on workshops to keep pace, as well as the existing demand to retain and develop existing teams and knowledge for internal combustion engines.

To highlight the scale of the issue, IMI data suggests 111,400 roles need to be filled in the next 10 years.

There are currently 218 occupations across the sector, with technological advances – from ADAS and electric to connected motoring and online sales - creating opportunities that go far beyond traditional perceptions of working in automotive.

Franco Boscarelli, IMI business development director (pictured), will provide the latest overview of the scale of the issue facing workshops and dealerships across the UK, but more importantly, he will also be providing some answers on the support available and the path forward.

Boscarelli said: “I’ll be providing an update on our projections for the scale of that skills shortage and looking at ways we can address this by attracting, retaining and developing talent.

“The industry can be guilty of looking for comfortable doorways to hide in, but this is an issue that is going to reach a crisis point.”

The IMI’s ‘There’s More to Motor’ campaign is one of the ways the organisation is looking to help assist the sector.

The campaign’s content has been designed to improve perceptions and increase recruitment success in the automotive sector. It has already been seen more than one million times, leading to more than 8,000 people who have never previously considered working in the automotive sector looking into available jobs.

The regional digital media campaign, which launched in September, has resulted in more than 6,600 people clicking through to partner sites from the Search Job function on the IMI’s dedicated campaign microsite.

Wilson added: “It's no secret that every employer faces huge competition as Vehicle Technicians and other Installation & Maintenance are some of the hardest to fill vacancies while also representing the lion's share of job vacancies in this sector.

“Installation & Maintenance job postings are up 269% since January 2020, while the number of jobseekers in the same category is up 185%.”

Wilson said this creates a tremendous opportunity for every employer to combine both inbound and outbound methods in their talent attraction strategy to support hiring goals and to help make their company the employer of choice.

AM Live: Three dedicated seminar theatres, over 40 speakers and 70+ exhibitors

• Register now for your free ticket to AM Live on November 9 at the NEC

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