May 2021

MAY 2021 AFTERMARKET 55 www.aftermarketonline.net IMI Techsafe EV programme gets big push at Northgate Vehicle hire firm Northgate is putting 1,500 of its staff through the IMI’s Techsafe EV training programme for vans, with the same number again doing an awareness course, alongside more EV training for apprentices. By the end of March, at least one technician from all 52 of Northgate's workshops had completed an IMI Level 3 TechSafe EV course. A further 300 technicians, workshop managers, and controllers from Northgate will complete the course over the next 12 months. Meanwhile, Northgate's Online Learning and Development Academy will run online EV awareness modules, equivalent to IMI Level 1, aimed at around 1,400 non-technical staff across the business. On the apprenticeship front, Northgate is also looking to offer more apprenticeships, which include training on EVs. The news comes as the IMI warns that a skills shortage within EVs threatens progress on the government's Green Plan. Steve Scofield, Head of Business Development at the IMI said: "It is tremendously exciting to see that Northgate is making such a serious commitment to the EV training of its people. The IMI has made no secret of our concern that EV training has not been prioritised to date; analysis at the end of 2020 suggested that just 5% of the technicians working in garages and dealerships are appropriately qualified to work on these vehicles. The scale of the Northgate commitment should, therefore, send a strong signal to the automotive sector as a whole that now is the time to get their workforce EV-ready.” Northgate’s UK Head of Workshop Operations Steve Coble added: "We're proud to be providing significant training on EVs – above mandatory standards. In addition, we're introducing new infrastructure and tooling, servicing for EVs as well as OEH models, and flexible rental packages on all vehicles.” Autotech Training ADAS course Autotech Training is now offering one-day IMI-accredited ADAS training for the automotive industry, in light of the Insurance Industry Requirements (IRR) coming into force. Last July, Thatcham Research announced the IRR, and the insurance industry have required repairers to comply with it since 31 March. The IIR is set to ensure that VM ADAS tech specs are met. Mandla Ndhlovu, Training Delivery Director for Autotech Training commented: “As the number of ADAS enabled vehicles join the UK roads, it is vital that the automotive aftermarket is able to offer a safe repair service. While the IIR provides the insurance supply chain with clear guidance, automotive employers need to ensure that their vehicle technicians are trained to not only comply, but to instil confidence within their customers.” For further information on Autotech Training’s ADAS training course visit https://autotechrecruit.co.uk/training/ad as-training Snap-on is running a series of live online training sessions that will help techs get up to speed with their new Fast-Track Intelligent Diagnostics tools, including ZEUS, TRITON-D8 and APOLLO-D8. Snap-on Diagnostic Trainer Stephen Fox will be leading the free-of-charge training events. APOLLO-D8 training is offered on the first Monday of every month: Session one - 10:00 a.m. Session two - 1:00 p.m. Session two - 7:00 p.m. ZEUS training is offered on the first Tuesday and Thursday of every month: Session one - 10:00 a.m. Session two - 1:00 p.m. Session two - 7:00 p.m. TRITON-D8 training is offered on the first Wednesday of every month: Session one - 10:00 a.m. Session two - 1:00 p.m. Session two - 7:00 p.m. The Snap-on live online training events are accredited by the IMI. Attendees will receive their Professional Development Certificate after completing the course. To register for a training session, visit: diagnostics.snapon.co.uk/online-training Fast-Track Intelligent Diagnostics tools training from Snap-on