9:03 am, July 28, 2023
The number of technicians trained to work safely on EVs is dropping and looks set to plummet even further.
That’s according to the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), which says there were 42,400 technicians trained for EVs for the first quarter of this year – 18 per cent of the UK total.
But the number of newly qualified EV technicians was actually 10 per cent lower than in 2022, and the IMI forecasts an even bigger decline of 31 per cent securing an EV qualification for the second quarter versus the same period in 2022.
A number of factors are contributing to the shortfall, it says:
- As the average age of the vehicle parc increases, the time needed by technicians working on ICE vehicles also rises, reducing available retraining time for EVs
- The significant skills gap across the sector is forcing employers to ‘park’ new skills training to meet customer demand
- Training budgets are being refunnelled into ‘business-as-usual’ operations as employers manage current economic pressures
The IMI warns that this ‘could be hugely damaging to the government’s decarbonisation ambitions’.
The professional body predicts that by 2030, 107,000 IMI TechSafe-qualified technicians will be needed to meet the evolving demands of electric vehicles.
That figure rises to 139,000 by 2032, with IMI projections indicating a potential shortfall of 25,000 technicians if the current trends persist.
Graph provided by the IMI
Training for newcomers to the sector, attrition rates, the vacancy rate and retraining needs after a three-year continuing professional development cycle all add further pressure.
IMI CEO Steve Nash said: ‘The high level of job vacancies across the automotive sector as well as the economic pressures that mean budgets are being funnelled away from training are a serious cause for concern if the government’s decarbonisation targets are to be met.
‘More electric and hybrid vehicles are joining the UK car parc every day, but the number of technicians trained to safely maintain, service and repair them is simply not keeping pace, creating a real postcode lottery.
‘Urgent attention is required to address the skills gap, enhance training initiatives and ensure an adequate supply of qualified technicians to meet the evolving demands of the rapidly growing EV sector.’
