Easy2Recruit writes to new Home Secretary on skills crisis
With a new Government now in place, Easy2Recruit, the agency helping garages hire overseas talent, has written to the new Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, urging her to help alleviate the growing skills crisis in the garage sector by adding mechanics to the Immigration Salary List, the official list of skilled jobs for which workers are deemed to be in short supply.
“The garage sector has a growing skills crisis,” said Ambi Singh, founder of Easy2Recruit. “The new Home Secretary is in a position to swiftly help both the industry and its millions of motorist customers by making it easier to bring mechanics in from abroad to keep Britain moving.”
Figures from the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) predict a shortfall of 160,000 workers in the automotive sector within the decade, with many of these being vehicle technician roles. Another recent study from the IMI revealed that the vacancy rate in the motor trade is currently running at its highest point in 21 years, with 5.1 jobs out of every 100 vacant, with only accommodation and food services vacancies running at a higher rate.
The Immigration Salary List was published in April and includes 23 skilled jobs. The Immigration Salary List replaced the previous Shortage Occupations List, which included a wider range of roles.
“In order to help ease this situation,” said Ambi, “I wrote to the previous Home Secretary at the start of 2024, requesting the inclusion of SOC Code 5321 - Vehicle Technicians, Mechanics, and Electricians in the Shortage Occupation List.”
Easy2Recruit has now asked for the immediate addition of SOC Code 5321 and SOC Code 5232 - Vehicle Bodyshop Technicians to the Immigration Salary List.
“The ongoing staffing shortfall is set to grow, and this will prevent the UK automotive industry from functioning effectively,” said Ambi, “especially as we move towards sustainable and electric vehicles. If mechanics are added to the Immigration Salary List now, garages won’t grind to a halt later.”