Automechanika Birmingham puts skills in the spotlight

In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week 2023 (6-12 February), Automechanika Birmingham is officially welcoming the next generation of aftermarket professionals to its event at the NEC from 6–8 June.

National Apprenticeship Week 2023 is the 16th annual celebration of apprenticeships and aims to bring together businesses and apprentices throughout the country to highlight the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

In line with attracting future talent into the industry, along with aftermarket apprentices, Automechanika Birmingham is also encouraging first-year, second-year and third-year students to attend its informative event and embrace the many opportunities available to them.

Alex Jones, marketing director of Messe Frankfurt UK, organisers of Automechanika Birmingham, said: “The statistics don’t lie, and unfortunately the number of dropouts in the first year of college is frighteningly high for automotive courses. Not only is it important to capture the interest of fresh talent by offering attractive apprenticeship schemes and college courses, once we have these individuals on board, we need to ensure we can keep hold of them.

“A key way to achieve this is by shining a light on the vast scale of technical innovations that our exhibitors offer, as well as the myriad of training opportunities available at the show. There are a multitude of options to explore for people wishing to kickstart their aftermarket career, from getting hands on in workshops, right through to product development at manufacturer level. And with a future based around an alternative fuelled vehicle parc and autonomous driving, apprentices and students can expect a long and fruitful career in the automotive aftermarket.”

Automechanika Birmingham has also partnered with School of Thought, which was created to address the skills and generation gap and will also be exhibiting at the show.

Dave Reece, founder of School of Thought, said: “This year we are planning to push on with these events and also be part of many of the national career fairs to promote all the ways young people can get into the industry, including highlighting the topic at Automechanika Birmingham. This could be through our work experience programme, apprenticeships, internships or just getting that first step on their career paths.”

Meanwhile, Automechanika Birmingham will host an Automotive Talent & Skills Conference on 8 June, committed to addressing the issues pertaining to attracting and retaining talent in the industry.