News 13 www.aftermarketonline.net NOVEMBER 2024 And he noted that only 16% of technicians in the industry are currently trained to level 2 to work on electric vehicles. He also outlined the progress of his company in training, having already upskilled 3,000 technicians in servicing hybrid and electric car maintenance and repair through the LKQ Academy to help address the skills gap. The company is expanding its training nationwide to build the capacity needed for a successful EV transition, Wooden said. Exhibition The Event itself featured an exhibition plus a programme of interactive workshops, informative seminars, comprehensive training and more, with exhibitors from across the sector offering a fresh window on the industry. Workshops included the expertise of industry leaders such as Snap-on and Delphi, while seminars covered a range of topics including the evolving shape of the aftermarket. Amid ongoing concerns about the skills gap being faced by the industry, another session provided a timely update focused on healthy retention in the aftermarket. Jennifer Webb, director of HR Vitals, lead a panel discussion that included the expertise of Antony Jhalley, managing director of AAK Autos, Ellen Plumer, the head of outreach and wellbeing for the automotive industry charity Ben and Ambi Singh, the CEO of Easy2Recruit and the Binley Woods Service Centre. Diagnostics The future of electric vehicles — and what workshops need to do over the coming years in order to stay relevant and profitable — was another important topic of discussion, and featured a panel including Atomic Succes director Andy Crook, HEVRA technical director Peter Melville, Pro-moto director Eliot Smith and TechTopics diagnostics expert James Dillon. A separate presentation by Dillon — looking at how to make money through diagnostics — gave insight into how to unlock the profitability in this field of work, with invaluable hints and tips thrown in for good measure. Co-located with another show, Safety, Health & Wellbeing Live, the Event also gave visitors an opportunity to learn more about workplace safety and occupational health.
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