Autumn Budget must focus on automotive aftermarket skills
The IMI is urging government to focus on automotive aftermarket skills when it delivers its Autumn Budget next month.
In its pre-budget submission, it has said that investment traditionally focuses on automotive manufacturing. It argues this needs to be broadened out to the aftermarket to ensure that modern vehicles can be safely repaired.
Reform
The IMI has called on the government to prioritise automotive apprentices and support for repairers to invest in continued training of technicians so they can safely handle the latest technologies.
Nick Connor, CEO of the IMI, said: “For too long, government investment in automotive has stopped at the factory gates. The people who keep vehicles on the road and consumers safe have been overlooked, yet they are vital to our economy and our net zero ambitions.
“Our message to HM Treasury in our pre-budget submission is clear: reform the Apprenticeship Levy so that it drives growth, invest in the whole automotive workforce, and fund the safety-critical training that protects the public.
“These are not wish lists; they are evidence-based reforms grounded in data and feedback from employers across the UK.”
Skills crisis
IMI research, based on polling and focus groups, has exposed the precarious state of skills in the sector. It has shown that the Apprenticeship Levy does not work for automotive, that there is a lack of follow-through to aftermarket skills in government policy for new motoring technology, and that current skills funding does not support the full automotive ecosystem.
It is now calling on reforms to the Apprenticeship Levy to unlock employer-led investment in skills; explicit skills funding for the workforce beyond the factory gates; and matched government funding for safety and competence standards.
