Launch of Skills England: No “quick fix” for garage staff shortages

The launch of Skills England by the Prime Minister and Education Secretary has been hailed as a positive move by automotive sector recruiter Easy2Recruit. However, CEO and founder Ambi Singh is reminding the garage sector that ramping up apprenticeships will take time, and that the sector will need to look more widely to fill staffing shortages for some time to come.

“With the automotive sector facing an every-growing staff shortages alongside many other industries, the Government’s speed in launching Skills England so soon should be lauded,” said Ambi Singh, “but this is no quick fix; we cannot expect this new organisation to be able to immediately correct decades of drift on the skills front.”

Following the announcement of the Skills England Bill in the King’s Speech last week, P.M Kier Starmer officially kick-started the new body during an address at the Farnborough International Air Show today. Skills England will be set up in phases over the next year. Its role will be to pinpoint the training for which Apprenticeship Levy funding will be available. The new body will replace the existing Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE). Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson described the current skills system as “fragmented and broken.”

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

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

Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) figures suggest the automotive sector faces a 160,000 staff shortfall by 2030, with many of these being vehicle technicians. Another IMI study pointed towards the fact 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.

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

Following the General Election, Easy2Recruit wrote to the new Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, urging her to ease the growing skills crisis in the garage sector by adding mechanics and bodyshop technicians to the Immigration Salary List, the official list of skilled jobs for which workers are deemed to be in short supply.

Easy2Recruit has been helping automotive businesses access skilled workers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India. “We deal with the relocation from overseas all the way to the garage in the UK,” said Ambi. “The owner of the garage just needs to undertake a video interview with the candidate. We handle all the pastoral care for the overseas worker, including visa application, flight booking and accommodation. Ultimately, we prepare the route for the first day at work.”