Automotive consortium seeks to shift further education up a gear
The relentless pace of change in vehicle technology, and a need to recruit and train technicians of the future and to ensure the currency of lecturers’skills, has prompted the UK motor industry to launch an unusual initiative to support of further-education sector, which is responsible for training more than 50,000 young people registered on motor-vehicle qualifications, including some 6,000 apprentices annually.
Following a bidding process, open to more than 300 institutions offering automotive training in the UK, ten Pathfinder centers have been selected to receive significant help from an industry consortium, which includes: the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), the retail motor sector’s professional association and major awarding body; bluecycle, an online auto-salvage auction specialist; Snap-on, a manufacturer of tools and vehicle diagnostic equipment; and Autodata, a publisher and supplier of automotive technical information in Europe.
Recognizing the challenges further education faces in funding investment in facilities, products and vehicles, the chosen centers, all of which are approved by the IMI to deliver national qualifications, will receive a complimentary package of support over the next three years. It includes the provision of vehicles, diagnostic equipment, access to technical data and training for lecturers both off-site and complemented by visits from Snap-on’s technical-support team.
In return, the initiative will require participating centers to promote their involvement to local industry, career officers and schools, as part of the IMI’s Proud to be Professional campaign, launched last year to step up efforts to inform high-caliber students of the benefits of a vocational apprenticeship as a credible and rewarding alternative to university. The campaign also challenges outdated public perceptions of the motor sector, by stressing the progress being made by the industry to promote and recognize competence and ethical behavior,which is championed by the IMI and endorsed by the participating organizations.
Research conducted by the Learning and Skills Council reveals vacancies in the retail motor sector totalling some 11,500, most of which are for skilled technicians. Advanced systems such as head-up display, fiber optics and controlled area networks, similar to those found in fighter aircraft, are increasingly commonplace in new cars, demanding technicians proficient in electronics and diagnostics. The new scheme will enable students and staff to gain detailed experience of various current production models.
Sarah Sillars, IMI chief executive, said: “With rapid vehicle evolution, a shifting retail landscape and intense scrutiny from consumer groups, a robust and respected retail-motor sector of the future will depend on equipping people with a new range of advanced skills, who understand the importance of ethics. The further-education sector has a huge part to play, and this unique initiative aims to make a difference on a number of levels. We look forward to monitoring its progress.“
Terry Smith, European marketing manager for Snap-on, commented: “We believe that by working with other key businesses we can make a difference to how we train new and existing technicians to deal with the latest technology used on the motor vehicles of today. By supporting professional accreditation standards, we believe we can help to improve the public’s perception of the UK motor industry.”
Stephen Ellis, lecturer in automotive engineering at West Cheshire College,one of the ten selected centers, said: “Having state-of-the-art vehicles and electronic equipment in the classroom will equip our students with the most up-to-date training in a modern and challenging environment so that they are better prepared for the working world. Our involvement in this scheme will drive up the standard of technicians available to local employers. We hope it will also attract new and mature students into vocational education and the growing field of automotive electronics.”
The other Pathfinder centers are: Brooksby Melton College; Grimsby Institute;Highbury College, Portsmouth; Newcastle College; Peterborough College; S&B Training, Bristol; Stockport College; Suffolk College; and Training 2000,Blackburn.
The UK retail motor industry has a turnover of more than £70 billion a year, employs more than 600,000 people and is responsible for some 2 percent of national wealth.
