Apprenticeship numbers too low – IMI

Ahead of National Apprenticeship Week (6-12 February 2023), the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) is calling for businesses to embrace apprenticeships and all the benefits they bring. Funding is available through the UK government’s apprenticeship levy scheme, yet the latest data in the IMI’s Automotive Education Report suggests this is underutilised in the automotive sector, meaning many businesses are missing out. Elsewhere, leading garage chains have been sounding the alarm that their growth and profitability depend on getting more personnel.

On average, 65 per cent of all apprenticeships in the UK are supported by levy funds, but just 52 per cent of automotive apprenticeships received such support in 2022, leaving the sector in the bottom third of all UK sectors hiring apprentices. Starter figures appear more encouraging, with 43 per cent more automotive apprenticeship starts in 2021/22 than in 2020/21. However, this is still 13 per cent lower than pre-Covid levels in the 2019/20 academic year.

“Compared to other industries, automotive had the 6th largest year-on-year percentage increase in apprenticeship starts last year,” commented Joanna Hollingdale, Careers and Student Membership Manager of the IMI. “However, levels have a long way to go before they reach pre-Covid levels, which were already falling. The need to act now is becoming more urgent by the day.  We already do not have enough qualified professionals to meet the growing demand for technicians trained to work on the latest and most innovative vehicles – including electric, hybrid and ADAS-equipped.”

With support from the apprenticeship levy, employers with a total annual pay bill of less than £3 million pay just 5 per cent of the cost of their apprenticeship training while the Government pays the rest. Plus apprentices can avoid the high levels of student debt associated with attending university by earning a wage while they train on the job as well as in the classroom. Once they complete their apprenticeship they will have a formal qualification and the necessary skills to work in their chosen field.

Continuing the same pattern of the previous three years, 2021/22 saw Motor Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician (Light Vehicle) the most popular pathway with 3,077 starts. This is a 50 per cent increase from 2020/2021 and 41 per cent from 2019/20. The largest increase since 2019/20 has been Vehicle Damage Mechanical, Electrical and Trim (MET) Technician which has tripled the number of starts.

In the third quarter of 2022, the largest proportion (37 per cent) of automotive qualifications were at Level 2 (or equivalent), while the top qualification was the IMI Level 1 Diploma in Automotive Maintenance. 27 per cent of automotive qualification certificates issued for the same period were for light-vehicle qualifications; the same proportion were for general maintenance (27%) followed by Electric/Hybrid (16%) and MOT (6%).