Autotech Academy fixes it for Halfords

A pilot scheme between Halfords and Autotech Academy, which has seen 10 newly qualified Level 3 automotive students placed across the national chain’s autocentres, is set to quadruple by the end of the year as the scheme is rolled out across Halford’s UK sites.

In a bid to create as many opportunities for young people as possible, Halfords is working with Autotech Academy to source and place newly qualified vehicle technicians in paid internships across its network of 600 UK autocentres.

Interns are vetted by Autotech Academy before being put through to Halfords sites for an interview. They are then equipped with a toolbox and uniform by the Academy team before being placed on a six-month internship.

Head of quality at Halfords Autocentres, Andy Turbefield, said: “As an industry, we need to bite the bullet and create opportunities for young people, the talent pool we are all fishing in is getting shallower and we need to examine all avenues. We have worked with Autotech Group in the past, and I was interested to hear about their Academy division when it launched last year. It is certainly taking the pain of recruiting newly qualified vehicle technicians away and enhancing our recruitment streams with a minimal amount of investment.”

The initiative is also supporting Halford’s bid to create a more diverse workforce with more female interns coming through.

Andy continued: “We need to reflect the communities we serve, and a large proportion are women, so it is fantastic to see the percentage of females signing up for automotive courses increase. We just need to ensure that these skills are transferred to the industry and create opportunities for them, which Autotech Academy is doing.”

While the pilot scheme has predominantly been focused within Halford’s South East autocentres, it will now be rolled out across the group’s 600 sites.