NFDA applauds PM’s ‘skills speech’

The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK, has welcomed the Prime Minister’s “Skills Speech”, given at Exeter College yesterday. Boris Johnson said: “So I can announce today that we will be expanding apprenticeships, reforming the system so that unspent funds can be used more easily to support apprenticeships not just in big companies, but in the SMEs where there is so much potential for job creation.”

He added: “We are short of skilled construction workers, and skilled mechanics, and skilled engineers, and we are short of hundreds of thousands of IT experts. And it is not as though the market does not require these skills. The market will pay richly.”

Sue Robinson, NFDA Director, commented: “NFDA has been lobbying the Government on behalf of our members to extend the time period for the usage of the apprenticeship levy. As a result, it is encouraging that the Prime Minister has announced that the Government is considering reforming the current apprenticeship system.

“Attracting young people to our industry and providing them with the opportunity to gain technical skills has been a key focus for NFDA and something we have been highlighting over the past years through the continued success of Drive My Career.”

In addition to helping businesses reach young people, Drive My Career allows potential candidates to explore career paths in the industry, understand training and skills gaps they may have, and enables them to connect with prospective employers within franchised dealer groups.

Sue Robinson added, “NFDA will continue to obtain crucial dealer feedback via the HR Working Group and liaise with the relevant Government departments.”