Groundhog day all over again

So, 2021 hasn’t started with the bang we wanted. The Prime Minister’s Monday announcement of yet another national lockdown in England (with similar restrictions in the devolved nations) means more strain on the industry. We’re a resilient bunch, but it’s a difficult pill to swallow.

That said, as in March last year, MOT and servicing will continue and there’s now more knowledge, understanding and infrastructure in place to help sales teams carry on – albeit digitally for now.

We’re here for you

Understandably, IMI centres and students are probably wondering what happens next. January’s phased return has been thrown out of the window and it’ll be a number of weeks before face-to-face classes return. 

We’ve spent the past nine months making sure that people’s career journeys don’t hit the skids and that doesn’t end now. Anyone concerned about completing an apprenticeship, accreditation etc should contact the IMI if they believe lockdown will reduce their ability to deliver and/or complete these. We will work with you to develop pragmatic and flexible solutions. 

My key message is this: the IMI remains Open for Business. We will support those individuals and businesses who want to keep their CPD up through free courses, webinars covering the latest developments, and the constantly updated MotorPro section of the IMI website. Indeed if you’re back on furlough, now is may be a good time to refresh your skills, making use of the online tools that are are available, including the soon-to-be available IMI VOCANTO.

Centres, too, have pulled together to make sure that students can access everything they need digitally, and that will become incredibly important over the coming weeks.

The situation is going to remain fluid, so staying up to date will be important, so 
keep an eye on the government website for the latest updates, changes to rules and any assistance – financial or otherwise – that becomes available.

The B Word

I’ll be honest, I’d expected to be talking more about Brexit and the details of the deal that’s been hammered out than another lockdown. We know automotive has been mentioned a lot during the negotiations, and we’re working through the details to see what impact it’ll have on us. 

With that in mind we’re running a webinar later this month to talk through what our new relationship with the EU means. Sign-up and join the discussion.

For now, I want to reinforce the message that the IMI is here to help and support you. If you need us please get in touch. We’re available on +44 (0)1992 519025, or send emails to hello@theimi.org.uk.

Stay safe,
 
Steve