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Automotive Qualifications - Raising Standards Or Asking Questions

23-08-2016
Employer advice

With the automotive market for skilled staff as it is at the moment, finding the right person for your motor trade business is harder than ever. This situation seems to be exacerbated to an almost unmanageable level when we look at technical automotive bodyshop vacancies. Panel Beaters, Paint Sprayers, MET Fitters and Smart Repairers are some of the most sought-after professionals in the trade. Some employers wait months to find the right person or in some cases, don't find them at all. 

The difficulties surrounding these sought-after candidates seem to have hit another bump in the road over recent years with a great deal of confusion over what qualifications are now recognised. Candidates have widely assumed that gaining an IMI Level 3 qualification in a discipline like Panel Beating would result in them being fully qualified for life, leaving trade experience their only requirement. You can, therefore, understand their confusion when they arrive at an interview to be told their qualification is out of date, or they require re-accreditation, in some cases after decades of experience.

The reason for this is that, following some legal proceedings, the industry required a way to prove that the staff they had working on customer vehicles had up to date knowledge. Therefore, a British Standard Kite Mark was drawn up for bodyshops and for a site to be awarded this standard they are required to show, among other things, that at least 33% of their workforce has the necessary automotive specific qualifications. It was agreed that to ensure people had the correct knowledge they would either need to have an ATA Qualification (now IMI Accreditation) in their discipline or have been awarded their City and Guilds Level 3 in the last three years to count towards this 33%.

 

Now, for a large automotive bodyshop with many technical employees, this may not prove too much of an issue. To maintain the required percentage, they would have time to put new employees through required training. However, for smaller companies, this may result in 100% of their staff being ATA to maintain the necessary level at all times once holiday, sick days and other absences are taken into account.

With an IMI course costing in the region of £300-500, this can represent a considerable outlay for a company if they are to put multiple employees through training. Therefore, there is the inevitable question raised of value for money.

There is however light at the end of the tunnel; by reaching these standards you not only improve the quality of your workforce, but you also update best working practices and potentially open your company up to a broader workflow.

You also prove that your company has done everything possible to ensure that the vehicles you put back on the road are safe and consequently reduce your liability.

Return on investment is not only calculated in pounds sterling but the brand and business growth.