Autotech Academy to enhance wellness support

Autotech Academy has marked World Mental Health Day by pledging to train its internal team to identify the early signs of mental health and know the routes available for support.

Since its launch in January last year, Autotech Academy, a division of employment and training solutions company Autotech Group, has closed the loop between colleges and automotive employers through its paid internship initiative.

Now it is set to enhance this support by providing its internal team with dedicated training to ensure they can build a positive working culture, promote positive well-being and signpost interns to where they can access support if they are having mental health issues.

According to mental health charity Mind, 91% of people under the age of 24 have experienced mental distress or accessed mental health services since the onset of Covid-19. And in 2019, automotive charity BEN released a whitepaper which revealed that poor mental health could cost the automotive sector £1.2bn a year.

Following two years of disruption and enforced isolation, this figure could well be exacerbated.

While emphasis on mental health in the workplace has increased over recent years, young people entering employment for the first time can find it hard to speak up. This is particularly felt by the current generation of college leavers living with the Covid-19 legacy of remote learning and social restrictions.

Simon King, managing director of Autotech Group, said: “We are looking to build a foundation of support for young people entering the industry. A culture where mental health issues are discussed, and support is easily accessible. These newly qualified vehicle technicians are the future of the industry and embedding this within them will create a cultural shift.”