PROGRESS Recruitment says 2019 looks set to be an employee’s market with skilled qualified technicians set to be in much demand across the industry once again.
Laura Rycroft, Managing Director, said: “When I began my recruitment career in 2009, 22 dealerships in my region closed and dealers had people queuing at the doors with their CVs looking for work.
“But now the tables have turned! Fully qualified vehicle technicians are now in great demand.”
A survey by Progress Recruitment, conducted in October 2018 found 96% of garages agreed that skilled technicians were ‘very important’ or ‘vital’ but just 2% found recruitment easy.
Almost half indicated they had at times been unable to recruit the people they needed.
With fewer young technicians entering the trade than there are retiring, accompanied by the escalation of new vehicle technology, the industry is experiencing a skills crunch.
Progress Recruitment is working to address the issue by extending the reach of its MOT Tester training courses, developed in partnership with the Independent Garage Association (IGA) to individuals who are looking to self-fund their training to enhance their skills and experience.
Political uncertainties are unlikely to help. The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) believes new immigration laws could exclude current employees and exacerbate the skills shortage in future too.
Ensuring that home-grown automotive talent is sufficiently qualified to help bridge the potential gap has never been more important.
Rycroft said: “As a specialist agency, Progress Recruitment can help garages find the technical team they need from our extensive candidate database, our talent acquisition channels and our proven screening services, saving busy garages owners time and hassle.”
The time saved by garages on hiring can then be invested back into developing staff retention and development plans for the business.
Leave A Comment