Training: What you need to know

With new vehicle technologies, and developments with existing components, training in the automotive aftermarket is more important than ever.

From online overviews to detailed vehicle breakdowns and rebuilds, there are plenty of options that keep technicians up-to-date with industry developments. And, with electric vehicles becoming more prevalent, and the increase in ADAS features brought about by the General Safety Regulation, the need to stay on top of technologies is essential.

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So today’s cars are basically just computers on wheels,” commented Michael Ingvardsen, Global Technical Training manager at Nissens. “So, if you are not really a tech nerd, which very few people are, you are really going to have to attend training classes.

“It is also a way to understand how we think from a manufacturing side, and how manufacturers, both vehicle and aftermarket, think too. With all the electronics going into vehicles today, you need to understand the mind of the engineer. Different carmakers may think differently about their designs, and electronic systems, so without the right training, you could spend a lot of time looking in the wrong place to fix issues.”

Technologies change

The automotive landscape is evolving, and not just with the obvious. Diesel and petrol cars are becoming more complex, thanks to mild-hybrid systems and new emissions regulations.

If these skills are not picked up today, there could be a problem passing them on further down the line. The industry is already facing a skills gap, with only 27% of the workforce currently trained to work on electric vehicles, according to data from the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).

“With over 14,000 vacancies in the automotive sector currently qualified to work safely on electric vehicles, according to IMI TechSafe data, the need for coordinated skills investment has never been more urgent,” commented Sarah Sillars, Interim CEO at the IMI.

Understanding new technologies can also lead to opportunities. “There is a massive profit-generating tool if you can get on top of ADAS,” stated Luke Garratt, UK and Nordics Technical Services Manager at Delphi. “If you can understand and competently explain ADAS to a customer and why they need that, then you are sat on top of a goldmine, and it is important to do it. It is a requirement of most manufacturers now to do a ADAS calibration, whether that be a static or a dynamic, and having technicians understand that without just shipping the vehicle out the door, without doing one, is incredibly important.”

Alongside this, existing components are also changing and adapting. From clutch and transmission to diesel components and suspension, ensuring you remain aware of existing technologies is just as important.

“You look at every engine component really, and there is new technology going into it all of the time,” highlighted Alistair Mason, Technical Services Manager, UK & Ireland at Schaeffler. “There’s new ways of coding these things in with a diagnostic machine. There are also new ways of fitting these components. Training in these areas is fine, but you will also often find information attached to them. So make sure that you understand and find the details you need when fitting parts.”

Online or classroom?

There are two main types of training course, online and in-person. But which is best for technicians?

Online has benefits, they can be taken at a point that is convenient to the learner. They also do not require travel, and can be revisited. But an in-person course provides a hands-on experience, one that can give greater skills going forward.

“It would be fair to expect a learner to retain about 30% of what they were taught during a one-day course, around a week afterwards,” commented Ben Stockton, Managing Director at Our Virtual Academy. “In addition, sending someone on a training course is expensive. So online is a strong solution there.

“What a lot of organisations will do is use online content to cover off the theoretical elements of training, providing some opportunities for learners to go back over things when needed. Then they can attend a classroom event to cover the practical elements. At this point, however, they are well armed with the essential knowledge, and can spend less time in the classroom as a result.”

One of the benefits of in-person training is the ability to work on a car itself. Today’s courses are often more than just classroom based, allowing technicians to take real-world experience back to the classroom.

“As a technician myself, I think the idea of being sat in a classroom for a full entire day would bore me to tears,” added Garrett. “If I am working on a vehicle system, I want it to be as part of the vehicle. I think you can really disassociate a system from a car if it is just laid out on a rig in front of you. There is an element of the car has to be stripped to get to access the part we need to work on. And that adds the realism to the training too.”

Finding talent

While training technicians is important, for workshops, having access to skilled employees is essential. With a skills gap in the industry, there are opportunities to bring in workers from overseas to help develop the knowledge in the garage.

There are many benefits to bringing skilled workers into a business,” commented Ambi Singh, Founder and CEO of Easy2 Recruit. “Number one, you are getting a candidate who is coming to invest in their career in the automotive industry. They are coming from very decent organisations, such as dealerships or government institutions. They have been trained. A lot of them are EV trained already.

“The biggest advantage, however, is that if you look outside the UK, there is a whole pool of talent waiting to work with garages in this country.”

Therefore, automotive aftermarket training is essential. But businesses need to know what training is required in order to make sure that no time is wasted.

By planning ahead, not only can a business be futureproofed, but customers can continue to have their vehicles serviced for years to come, while new customers can be brought in, on the back of advanced technology knowledge.