The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has welcomed news that there has been a 4.5% year-on-year increase in EV-ready technicians, but has stressed this is not enough to bridge the qualification gap before 2030.
New analysis by the IMI has revealed that only 11% of technicians in the UK are qualified to work safely on EVs. The institute described this as a “serious skills shortage”.
Despite growing sales of EVs providing a clear indication that consumers are embracing the idea of electric motoring, the IMI said it “fears a ticking time bomb of consumer confidence, as motorists struggle to find appropriately qualified technicians”.
“Of course, it is welcome news that the number of EV qualified technicians is growing, yet it is clear that the skilled EV workforce is not keeping up with sales of BEV, PHEV and HEV vehicles”, noted Steve Nash, CEO of the Institute of the Motor Industry.
“Despite government’s positive commitments on charging infrastructure in last month’s EV strategic review, if the workforce is not quickly and efficiently up-skilled, we face the very real problem of lack of technicians available to keep EV’s on the road and able to use this enhanced network.”
According to the IMI, by 2030 the government’s Road to Zero target, there could be a shortfall of 25,100 qualified technicians and current forecasts predict that this shortage could materialise as soon as 2027, as sales of EVs accelerate.
The IMI is therefore renewing its call for a £15m boost to help get 75,000 more technicians EV ready.
Nash added: “Nobody is suggesting that getting back on track with technician training post-pandemic has been easy. While manufacturers and their franchised dealers are committed to EV training, lack of funding means independents risk being left out in the cold and this skills premium risks consumer choice being restricted and EV servicing costs rising.
“If the government wants to meet its own decarbonisation targets it must be willing to bolster funding. No matter how impressive an EV infrastructure the UK might boast, the government must stop its ostrich like behaviour regarding the widening skills gap, pull its head firmly out of the sand and invest in a skilled workforce, or risk failing to meet its 2030 ambitions.
“The automotive industry is a tremendously exciting tech-led sector to work in. Fiscal support would not only help re-skill existing technicians, but also help attract school leavers and career changers into a sector which has an increasingly diverse attitude to recruitment.”
