NEMTA drives skills shortage awareness

NEMTA (North East Motor Trade Apprenticeships) and its partners, Remit, NYA and Chameleon are trying to raise awareness of the motor trade and educate young people about how the industry has changed and the great opportunities that it holds.

It cannot have gone unnoticed that the motor trade is suffering severe skill shortages. But there are signs that the industry is waking up and realising that it needs to look for its workforce of the future.

Many bodyshop managers are expressing concern that they have an aging workforce who poses valuable skills that will be lost when they eventually leave the tools.  Whilst an apprenticeship typically lasts around two to three years, completers still have a lot to learn even though they are technically qualified.

Technology is taking over the vehicles, so the industry needs to recruit a new younger breed of technically and practically minded individual to work with the materials and technology of today and tomorrow.

NEMTA and its partners are going into schools all around the north east and engaging with pupils and teaching staff to enlighten them about our trade. The company attends careers conventions, talk at assemblies and take part in workshops. NEMTA want to make sure that when these young people do think about a career path when they leave school, the industry will have a fighting chance of being on their list.

Steve Shaw, creator of NEMTA said, ‘I struggle to understand the short sightedness of senior managers in the retail motor and body repair sector. Their years or cost cutting and lack of attracting and developing apprentices was always going to lead to our current situation, they have created their own monster.  We seem to work in an industry that when times are good they don’t need them and when times are bad they cannot afford them.  How bad does this situation need to get before companies see the sense of joining forces for a common goal and securing the future of their businesses’.