Parents unaware of automotive apprenticeship benefits
New data from the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has found that just 41% of parents of carers would encourage their children to do an automotive apprenticeship.
This is despite broad support for apprenticeships, with 90% of parents saying they would consider an apprenticeship for their children.
A YouGov survey of over 1,000 parents of 14-17 year-olds revealed that most parents regarded ‘digital and IT’ (58%), engineering (56%), and sustainability as acceptable career choices.
But few realised these pathways existed within automotive. When presented with digital, technical and sustainability roles within the sector, 49% of parents said they’d be more likely to encourage their child to consider the sector.
Skills shortage
Nick Connor, CEO of the IMI, said: “The persistent skills shortage in automotive is not a problem of capability or opportunity, but of perception. Employers need to fundamentally rethink how they communicate career opportunities to reach the people who really influence young talent decisions: parents and carers.
“The roles automotive employers are recruiting for – cyber security specialists, sustainability officers, AI specialists – are exactly the careers parents want for their children. But parents don’t associate these roles with automotive.
“Parents aren’t closing the door on automotive careers; many have never been invited to look behind it. When they are, perceptions shift. Employers who understand this and adapt their recruitment approach accordingly will have a significant competitive advantage in attracting the next generation of talent. That’s the perception gap employers must close.”
The research has been published in an IMI report, The Apprenticeship Mindshift: How Parents Really View Automotive Careers and What Changes Minds.
