IMI outlines its manifesto for automotive

As the professional body for those working in the automotive sector, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) is representing the interests of its over 110,000 members and the wider employer community in its manifesto outline published today. The organisation is committed to helping the sector attract, recruit and retain talent as well as future-proof it for emerging skills needs.

The IMI manifesto outline sets out three key priorities for the professional body:

• Attract and Recruit, including engaging with employers to remove barriers to apprenticeships and collaborating with government on addressing qualifications gaps
• Retain, including supporting upskilling and continuous professional development
• Future Skills and Technology, anticipating emerging skills needs and partnering with like-minded organisations to future-proof the sector

“Our manifesto outline makes very clear the critical role the IMI continues to play in supporting those who work in the sector”, explained Azlina Bulmer, Managing Director of the IMI. “Retaining existing members of the workforce and empowering them with the right skills for the automotive technologies of today and for the future is a key concern.

“We also expect our members to hold us to account in representing their interests with government and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the right support and funding is provided from the top-down. As such, we recently wrote to Rt Hon Jonathan Reynolds, MP and Secretary of State for Business and Trade to highlight the omission of automotive in the government’s Industrial Strategy green paper: Invest 2035: The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy. The IMI will be responding to the green paper on behalf of our members and we are urging them to have their say in a forthcoming webinar.”

With skills, retention and continuous professional development key priorities in the manifesto, the IMI is also asking the Chancellor to consider the broad implications of a hike in employer NI contributions, rumoured to be a feature of the Autumn Statement. Such a change could have a significant impact on costs for the large proportion of small businesses that operate in the aftermarket that are servicing the majority of vehicles outside of manufacturer warranties.

“The automotive sector is already facing a huge skills gap of 20,000+ vacancies which is impacting its ability to service vehicles for individuals and businesses”, added Azlina Bulmer. “Increasing employer NI contributions might be the perfect storm that suffocates the ability of the SMEs that are the backbone of the sector to maintain workforce numbers as well as recruit and invest in professional development, including apprenticeships and upskilling initiatives. The knock-on effect could be longer waits for vehicle servicing and repair and potentially higher costs for the motorists. Suppressing skills development will also impact the ability of the sector to be ready to support the governments decarbonisation targets.”