According to the IMI, the rate at which automotive technicians are becoming ‘EV-ready’ remains insufficient in dealing with the nation’s skills gap…
Not Enough EV Technicians
The number of automotive technicians prepared for electric vehicles has risen by 4.5% year-on-year. However, this isn’t enough to bridge a growing skills gap in the country; that’s according to the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI). It’s discovered that just 11% of UK technicians are qualified to work on plug-in vehicles. That equates to just 24,500 people. For perspective, there are over 40 million registered vehicles in the country.
Recent registration figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that 16.2% of new registrations in April were plug-in. The organisation believes that just over a quarter of new vehicles (25.2%) will be electrified to some extent by the end of year. As a consequence, the IMI is concerned that consumers could be put off electric models due due to a lack of technicians.
More Government Funding?
Steve Nash, CEO of the Institute of the Motor Industry. wants more government funding for training automotive technicians. He said, “of course, it is welcome news that the number of EV-qualified technicians is growing, yet it is clear that the skilled EV workforce is not keeping up with sales of BEV and PHEV vehicles”.
He added, “despite the Government’s positive commitments on charging infrastructure in last month’s EV strategic review, if the workforce is not quickly and efficiently up-skilled, we face the very real problem of lack of technicians available to keep EVs on the road and able to use this enhanced network”.
Nash concluded, “if the Government wants to meet its own decarbonisation targets it must be willing to bolster funding. No matter how impressive an EV infrastructure the UK might boast, the Government must stop its ostrich-like behaviour regarding the widening skills gap, pull its head firmly out of the sand and invest in a skilled workforce, or risk failing to meet its 2030 ambitions”.
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