The School of Thought Automotive is collaborating with the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) and Autotech Academy to launch the first Automotive Work Experience Week, starting today.
The automotive industry is facing a skills shortage, and efforts are required to ensure it does not become worse. With the market changing from a purely engineering-based one to involvement of software-driven systems and electronics, it is now competing with more established sectors to entire a younger generation. The aftermarket is no different, with ADAS and electric vehicles (EVs) becoming more proficient in the market, leading to a need for new skills.
Therefore, the Automotive Work Experience Week is designed to get to the heart of the current skills gap, and is being seen as a call to action for automotive employers to sign up to offer a week’s placement for at least one young person during 2024.
Exciting place to work
Automotive Work Experience Week 2024 will present the automotive sector as an exciting career choice for school leavers, address the current skills gap, and empower automotive employers to recognise the importance of offering work experience to young people. Leading industry figures are also set to share their work experience journeys.
While emphasising the pivotal role of work experience in nurturing young talent and addressing the industry’s skills gap, Automotive Work Experience Week will also provide a new platform to highlight the diverse career paths available within the automotive sector.
“In today’s fast-changing automotive world, the importance of attracting and retaining young talent cannot be overstated. The automotive industry is steeped in myths and perceptions, with many believing there are limited progression opportunities,” commented Dave Reece, founder of The School of Thought Automotive.
“Through Automotive Work Experience Week 2024, our united aim is to change this narrative and showcase the automotive sector as an innovative, diverse, and exciting career route and attract a new generation.
“We need to work collaboratively as an industry to attract young people to the automotive sector before they enter further education and work experience is a vital way to achieve this. Therefore, we are encouraging as many organisations as possible to sign up and commit to offering at least one young person one week’s work experience placement in 2024.”
Automotive Work Experience Week a regular occurrence
The automotive industry needs to do more to attract a younger generation of workers. The competition for career interest is larger than ever, with the electronics and gaming sector in particular growing. Technology-focused individuals could be overlooking the opportunities in the automotive market, but reaching out to the younger generation could help to kindle that interest and, crucially, help to reduce any skills gap in the future.
Therefore, Automotive Work Experience Week will become a regular fixture in the calendar, helping to not only raise awareness, but encourage employers to reach out and offer placements for work experience. This could help foster an interest in the industry, which may prove to be a benefit to all involved.
For more information about Automotive Work Experience Week and how to get involved, visit The School of Thought Automotive website. The week, which runs from 15-19 April 2024, is an opportunity to find out more about the potential of offering work experience, and the requirements needed to do so.
Partners together
The School of Thought Automotive was established in 2019 as a not-for-profit organisation to elevate the profile of the automotive industry in school years nine to 11, targeting pupils, parents, and educational institutions.
The IMI works with educators, adult guardians, schools, and students to identify the immense career opportunities available in automotive. Autotech Group provides a valuable pathway for newly qualified college leavers in securing their first automotive job through its Autotech Academy’s internship initiative.
United by a shared desire to connect school pupils with the automotive sector and showcase it as an exciting career route while changing the industry’s perceptions amongst young people, The School of Thought Automotive, The IMI, and Autotech Group have enjoyed a lasting collaboration and the launch of Automotive Work Experience Week 2024 is the culmination of this.
