‘No quick fix to resolve garage skills crisis’, PM told

23 July 2024  

Easy2Recruit has warned there can be “no quick fix” to resolve the skills crisis facing garages and the automotive sector — despite the government’s launch of a new Skills England body.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said yesterday the new body would “bring together the fractured skills landscape” and boost skills training across the nation.

Easy2Recruit CEO and founder Ambi Singh said the government should be praised for launching Skills England so soon after taking office. However, he said ramping up apprenticeships in the garage sector would take time.

“We cannot expect this new organisation to be able to immediately correct decades of drift on the skills front,” said Singh, whose agency specialises in helping UK garages and automotive businesses hire high-quality overseas talent.

Starmer said Skills England will be set up in phases over the next year. The new body will replace the existing Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the move was needed because the existing skills system is “fragmented and broken”.

‘New generation’

Once set up, Skills England will work alongside the Migration Advisory Committee to identify where skills are required to cut down on the need to bring in overseas workers.

However, Singh said: “There needs to be a range of recruitment options available. Garages are increasingly looking overseas to fill technician roles for the simple reason that there are not enough mechanics available in the UK.”

He cited Institute of the Motor Industry figures indicating that the automotive sector faces a 160,000 staff shortfall by 2030, with many of these being vehicle technicians.

“It will take a long time to nurture a new generation of technicians, and until the apprenticeship system is functioning properly again, garages will need to source some staff from overseas.”

Singh’s comments came just days after he called on the government to add mechanics to the official list of skilled jobs deemed in short supply in the UK.