Up to 5,000 job
vacancies in the UK automotive industry could be vacant due to a
skills shortage affecting the sector, according to the Automotive
Council.
The Council’s report, developed by automotive
industry consultants SMMT Industry Forum on behalf of the Automotive
Industrial Partnership, surveys a range of British-based automotive firms, from
vehicle manufacturers to component suppliers.
The survey identifies areas of
employment where recruit is most difficult. It aims provide an important means
for industry and government to tackle the skills issue.
Around 19 per cent of unfilled
vacancies cited in the report are identified as ‘critical’ and having
a significant impact on company operations.
Of the top 10 job types for which
recruitment is most difficult, the majority are in engineering – with the top
two in-demand roles being design and production engineers.
The knock-on effect, according to the
report, is that companies are hiring temporary contractors and increasingly
recruiting from abroad.
The renaissance of the UK automotive
industry since the recession has brought significant success to the sector and
helped to sustain just under 800,000 jobs across Britain.
Last year was the best year in a decade
for car production with 1.59 million vehicles built, and volumes are
forecast to reach an all-time record two million by 2020.
The UK also achieved notable success
in productivity levels, which have increased 40% since 2010 to make UK
labour productivity the highest in Europe. But this success could be
undermined by the lack of skilled engineers to fill new jobs, despite efforts
made by companies to increase training and apprenticeships.
Jo Lopes, chair
of the Automotive Industrial Partnership and head of technical excellence,
Jaguar Land Rover, said, “These are very significant findings which
present a valuable basis for government and industry to jointly tackle
this issue head-on and ensure that the growth potential of the industry in the
coming years is fulfilled. The Automotive Industrial Partnership has already
made some important steps since its inception – including the introduction of a
range of training programmes – and it will have a crucial role to play in
addressing the skills challenge.”
The Automotive Industrial
Partnership was initiated in early 2015 by the Automotive Council to
bring together major automotive businesses in order to help ensure future
skills needs are met for UK vehicle manufacturers and supply chain companies.
Since its inception, the Partnership
has developed a ‘jobs framework’ – an industry standard hierarchy of roles
– to make it easier for companies to structure positions and for employees
to follow clear career development paths. It has also implemented a number of
new training programmes, and is developing the Automotive Apprenticeship
Matching Service to retain more high calibre apprentices in the industry.
In addition to the new personnel
needed, there are also many new training requirements due to the adoption of
new automotive technologies in the industry. According to the report,
71 different types of learning are required for more than 20,000 people
working in the industry – 15 per cent of whom have an immediate need for new
training. The most critical training requirements are in lean
manufacturing (minimising waste), advanced problem solving and tool making.
The report sets out a range of
recommendations to tackle the skills shortage. These include the
implementation of a co-ordinated approach to STEM (science, technology,
engineering and mathematics) subjects in schools, as well businesses ensuring
that apprenticeship opportunities on offer from government are maximised.
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