Government apprentice requirement reduction “bad fit for automotive”

Government plans to reduce maths and English requirements for apprentices over 19 could increase overall numbers says Easy2Recruit, but the agency helping garages hire overseas talent is urging the automotive sector to instead work to attract higher-qualified candidates who would thrive in the high-tech industry of tomorrow.

The Department for Education (DoE) last week announced that businesses will be able to opt out of existing rules that require apprentices over the age of 19 to hold or acquire level 2 qualifications in Maths and English, equivalent to GCSEs.

Easy2Recruit founder and CEO Ambi Singh does not believe this is the right course for the automotive sector. “Reducing educational requirements for apprentices over the age of 19 will of course mean more people could join our industry,” he said. “Unfortunately, while the sector has been experiencing a massive shortfall in technician numbers for many years, the pace of technological change means what we actually need is higher qualified staff.”

The move would mean an additional 10,000 apprentices could be qualified each year across all sectors. However, apprentices between 16 and 18 would still need to hold a Maths or English qualification.

The move comes as new figures highlight growing staff shortfalls in the most highly-skilled roles in automotive. Recent research from the Institute for the Motor Industry (IMI) suggests that while 13% of vehicles has some degree of autonomy and feature advanced driver assistance (ADAS) systems, only 2% of the technicians in the UK are IMI TechSafe registered. This means there are just 4,425 ADAS-qualified techs working in the UK.

“The rise of ADAS,” said Ambi, “along with the electrification of the car parc requires the sector to increase skills levels across the board. Lowering entry requirements not only sends the wrong message; it also takes our sector in the wrong direction. What the industry needs to do is work with the education sector so that we are able to attract young people who want to work in a high-technology environment, as that is what automotive is increasingly becoming. In short, cutting skills requirements is a bad fit for automotive.”