With electrified vehicles taking centre stage at The British Motor Show 2021 the Institute of the Motor Industry is warning that the automotive retail sector does not currently have the skills and the pipeline of talent needed to service and repair electrified vehicles.
Faced with the potentially fatal consequences of an inadequately skilled workforce, the IMI is repeating its plea for the government to commit funding to support EV skills training. It is suggesting a £15m boost would play a critical role, contributing towards training for up to 75,000 technicians.
"It is tremendously exciting to be involved in this weekend's British Motor Show where the best in class in our sector will be on show", said Steve Nash, CEO of the Institute of the Motor Industry. "But whilst the show will provide a real buzz for the future of electrified motoring, there's no getting away from the fact that there are still some big hurdles to overcome to meet the government's 2030 deadline for the ban of the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles.
"With just 6.5% of the automotive workforce currently qualified to work on electric vehicles there is a gaping chasm in the availability of technicians. And that chasm not only presents a safety threat for those who may risk working on high voltage vehicle systems without appropriate training and qualifications; it also means the premium on skills could add to costs for motorists, creating another, unnecessary deterrent to the switch to EV.
"The government has committed £1.9bn to tackling consumer uptake and charging issues. We are asking that £15m is set aside for employers to access to support their own investment in skills training to get their workforce EV-ready. This will be particularly important for the independent sector."
"The government wants the adoption of EV to continue at a pace – the investment in EV charging needs to be matched by an investment in EV skills training to help employers ensure the workforce is EV-ready and electrified motoring doesn't come at a premium."