Workshops do not have enough knowledge or information about apprenticeships, hindering their hiring choices.
An investigation by car repair platform FixMyCar has found barriers to hiring apprentices amongst its network of garages. The company aims to identify possible solutions, to aid recruitment struggles.
According to the network, there are around 20,000 vacancies in the UK automotive aftermarket, and apprentice numbers are falling.
Running a poll with a sample of 112 independent garages on their network, FixMyCar found that interest and enthusiasm for hiring apprentices is not the issue. In fact, 34% said they would be interested in hiring an apprentice in the future. A further 28% said they were unsure about hiring an apprentice, which can perhaps be explained by the barrier identified by the poll.
Of the garages polled, 64% said they do not feel they have enough information or knowledge to be able to hire an apprentice. Of these, 28% admitted that they have no idea about apprenticeships at all, from how they work to how to set one up at their garage.
This data highlights a significant barrier to entry that is negatively affecting not just the careers of young people, but the aftermarket itself. The Motor Ombudsman’s latest report found that 41% of the garages they surveyed flagged that a lack of available apprentices to fill technician vacancies was one of their key staff challenges last year.
Experience of apprentices
FixMyCar also interviewed garages with its network that already hire apprentices to hear first-hand why they value apprenticeships.
“We believe that by investing in apprenticeships that we are future proofing the company as we look to expand our services while moving forward with future technologies and ecological solutions,” commented Sunny Bhardwaj at KAM Servicing in Derbyshire.
Tom Norbury at Wilco Motosave in Lincoln added: “We employ apprentices in the shops and also the fitting bays. We value our apprentices and spend a lot of time and money on training and developing their skills, as they are the future of our business.”
“A lack of information and understanding about apprenticeships is definitely the biggest barrier for garages,” stated Neal Rhodes, Head of Technical Training and Apprenticeships at National Group Protyre Autocare. “In particular, since a change that means the responsibility for apprenticeships now largely sits with the employer, rather than the education provider.
“Things are improving, but we see that garages still do not understand their responsibility in the process, and the level of support they must provide. It is a complicated process and though garages are willing, they don’t always understand the commitment required. As a result, smaller garages can find this very difficult to take on, even at Protyre Autocare with a larger, dedicated team, it can be challenging.
“We are always going to be here as an industry. It is important to bring new talent into it and remind everyone that this is an industry for the future and a career for life, that requires academics as well as training. For me, it is not about Protyre Autocare, or any one business’ apprentices, it is about the wider automotive industry. We all have a responsibility to bring new talent in and fill that talent pool up for the benefit of everyone.”
Understanding the way forward
Reflecting on what the investigation uncovered, Matt Wrankmore, Head of Garage Network at FixMyCar commented: “I am pleased to see, though not surprised by, the poll data. We have so many great auto repair businesses on our network that truly care about their profession and the future of it. They understand that hiring and training young people is the way forward.
“However, there is a clear knowledge gap that is creating yet another recruitment barrier for these garages. It is more important than ever that this is recognised and acknowledged within the industry, as it is a responsibility we all share. That is why FixMyCar is committing to providing all subscription garages on our garage network with an Apprenticeship Advice Guide as a first step in helping to bridge this knowledge gap.”
FixMyCar pledges to provide the digital Apprenticeship Advice Guide to all their paying garage members by the end of February. This will mark the beginning of a large campaign focus on aftermarket recruitment for the car repair aggregator in 2025, as it works to be part of the recruitment solution for its garages.
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