The King’s Speech – 17th July 2024: IMI Response

The Institute of the Motor Industry welcomes the focus on skills

Kevin Finn, Executive Chair of the IMI said:

“Whilst there were no specific mentions of automotive in the King’s Speech, we are pleased to see the focus on skills with the proposed creation of Skills England, bringing together government, businesses, unions and training providers. With 21,000 vacancies and critical skill gaps in EVs and ADAS, urgent support is needed to maintain road safety and meet government goals.

“The IMI will also represent the views of the automotive workforce and employers as the Apprenticeship Levy is reformed with a Growth and Skills Levy. It is hoped this will give businesses the flexibility they need to spend their levy funds to deliver apprenticeship programmes as well as access modular training to equip existing staff with future-proofed skills. Currently, the automotive training workforce is severely under-resourced, and the pipeline of new talent is not being adequately filled by new apprenticeships.

“The government has clearly indicated its intent to work with business as well as create a Council of Nations to secure economic growth across the country. The IMI will therefore, work with the relevant ministers and departments to represent the automotive sector to ensure UK automotive remains a global leader.”