Diversify or Die

IMI Update

Diversify or die

The industry’s changing and we need to keep pace. Electrification, connectivity and autonomous functionality are all on the horizon as automotive shifts through a revolution in technologies.

The question is, are we ready?

In short, no, we’re not. If we’re to succeed in developing, selling, and maintaining the next generation of vehicles, we need to grow our skills – individually, as organisations and as an industry. But the lack of diversity in automotive is compounding the challenge.

That’s why the IMI launched the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force in spring 2021 to find ways the industry can increase its appeal to a more diverse workforce.

The initiative was broken down into three main working groups – Race and Ethnicity; Physical and Non-Visible Disabilities; and Gender Identity. We decided to draw on knowledge and information from across automotive and beyond.

And now the Task Force Interim Report is ready to read.

Each Working Group has presented their initial findings as well as several proposals to improve diversity within the automotive industry. We will present the full report and final recommendations ahead of the IMI Dinner on 17 March.

It’s already clear that we need to make a real change so we can avert a skills crisis. That can’t be achieved by maintaining the status quo. We need to expand our appeal significantly and find ways to attract people who haven’t traditionally thought of automotive as a career choice. The IMI’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force is just the beginning. We all have a part to play.

If you have any views on this whole issue – how you’re developing new skills personally; what your organisation is doing to widen its appeal; what the industry should do to attract a new generation – please get in touch. Indeed, if you have any career or skills questions, call +44 (0)1992 519025, or send an email to hello@theimi.org.uk.

With my very best wishes,

Steve