The UK’s accident repair sector is losing skilled workers at a rate that could affect repair times and costs according to the Institute of the Motor Industry’s (IMI).
Its report, Understanding the UK Accident & Repair Workforce, revealed that an estimated 4,700 workers leave the industry each year, while approximately 3,000 join, leaving a shortfall of some 1,700 staff annually.
The decrease is reported to be most prominent in specialised fields, including body repair, with workforce ageing being the main concern due to the likelihood of accelerated exits over a short period of time. At the same time, the inflow of younger workers has been limited due to pathways into the roles being the least developed.
Another key concern for onboarding new entrants is that the training is said to be too generalised, meaning that some of the specialised skills required in some areas are lacking. The IMI has analysed apprenticeship data, with no evidence of sustained growth in apprenticeship uptake across key pathways, limiting the sector’s ability to increase entrants into shortage occupations.
This shortfall in workers could result in longer repair times and higher costs for drivers in the event of an incident. The lack of specialised training resulting in fewer bodyshop workers being trained could also impact electric vehicles.
With the volume of work AX drives into its extensive network of partners, its customers are often prioritised, providing access to its approved partners, 99% of which are EV ready. AX and its full service incident management solution, Motor Assist, offer end-to-end accident management solutions for both ICE and EV drivers, including like-for-like replacement vehicles when needed.
For those currently driving an ICE vehicle and thinking of making the switch to electric vehicles, AX’s Evaluate initiative offers petrol and diesel motorists the opportunity to choose an EV as their replacement vehicle to gain real-world experience of EV ownership.
