Aftermarket December/January 2023

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2023 AFTERMARKET 9 WI ZZIQ GLASS REPAIR om this Fr 15 i ! ... t thi i f orth o Up to £1600 w eder ffo Simple to use full BSI UK Based with 24/7 S ehic wn v Repair your o ease your turno & Incr enue ve dd another r A o s ... enue ver ai ning tr upport les erv ea m str n m n ope in each kit N° 1 in Eur TUV 43R Certified BSI Compliant uk.r Email: sales@ico el: +44 (0) 1462 452190 T OR TRADE ENQUIRIES T FCAT CON ICOR Ltd Van conversion and windscreen accessory supplier & manufacturer based in Hertfordshire UK may be faced with making big choices between keeping the lights on and committing investment to training. “All new production vehicles now incorporate ADAS and next year will see the first Level 3 autonomous vehicles entering the market. A Level 3 ready autonomous vehicle is capable of driving itself in particular conditions, during which it will take control of all safety-critical systems. To engender consumer confidence in these technological advances it is critical that these vehicles are properly maintained by technicians with the right skills, and the IMI is contributing our own insight to the current Transport Committee inquiry on Self-Driving Vehicles to ensure such issues are properly taken into account.” Changes at the franchised dealer level, highlighted earlier, could also have an impact on the skills side: “The much talked about move to an agency distribution model is also likely to become a reality in 2023 with the first of a number of OEMs taking that leap. Roles will change at both OEM and dealer level as the manufacturers take on the primary sales role and dealers refocus on customer relationship management. I believe that opens up a real opportunity for investment in skills because it will be even more of a customer choice differentiator. New entrants, predominantly from China, such as BYD, will bring another dynamic to the sector. These organisations bring technological know-how which they will want to match with local market knowledge and skills. It’s a great opportunity – rather than something to fear – for those businesses that are open to change.” Steve added: “I hope that Rishi Sunak’s government will oversee greater economic stability, addressing the current inflation challenges. The new Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, should review the de- funding of Level 3 technical qualifications and postpone any further changes until after the next general election. Lastly, going right to the heart of our current skills difficulties, it would make a huge difference for the Home Secretary to approve certain key automotive roles on the Shortage Occupation List, facilitating easier recruitment from overseas.” New generation Autotech Group CEO Gavin White observed: “Driven by a perfect storm of not enough training in present staff, uncompetitive salaries, or investment in a new generation of vehicle technicians, the skills shortage is an issue that we, as a business, have been banging the drum about since our early days. It has underpinned our decisions to create new company divisions – including Autotech Training and Autotech Academy. Over the last 12 months there has been a definite shift as the full impact of the shortage has been profoundly felt by the industry. This swing into Steve Nash, CEO, IMI