Green Skills for the Future: Report November 2025

The UK automotive sector is at the centre of the transition to net zero, driving progress in electrification, hydrogen systems and sustainable mobility. But its ability to deliver relies on a workforce with the right green skills, and our latest IMI report shows that urgent action is needed.

While the overall workforce is set to grow modestly by 2032, demand for EV, battery, ADAS, sustainability and end-of-life skills is accelerating far faster than training capacity. IMI TechSafe data shows 66,788 EV-qualified technicians in Q1 2025, yet the UK will need 155,000 by 2035. Without intervention, the shortfall could reach 25,000.

The challenge is not just skills, but perception. New IMI–YouGov research finds that although 90% of parents would consider an apprenticeship for their child, only 41% would consider an automotive one. Yet almost just over half became more interested once they understood the sector’s green and tech-focused careers.

The IMI is calling for coordinated national action: recognising Service, Repair and Recycling as priority skills, scaling regional green-skills training hubs, embedding IMI TechSafe into funding and regulation, reforming the Apprenticeship Levy, and tackling outdated perceptions of automotive careers.

This report sets out the evidence and the solutions needed to close the skills gap and position automotive as a dynamic, sustainable industry of the future.

All figures explicitly stated as from YouGov Plc are from YouGov. Total sample size was 1002 UK parents of children aged 14 to 17. Fieldwork was undertaken between 7th - 12th August 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK parents of children aged 14 to 17.