Industry licensing debate gets reignited but who's listening?

[Mike Ruff, GW editor]

A petition which called for the introduction of a licence to practice as vehicle mechanic prompted much debate in the GW forum in recent weeks and while 78 per cent agreed with some form of government regulation others fear additional costs and policing problems.

[See the full post at: Industry licensing debate gets reignited but who’s listening?]

[Dougal]

Sudden imposition of an arbitrary standard will naturally meet resistance.

Step 1. Publish proposed requirements for a licence including an online test for those who have been in the trade for many years. ( more technicians would support it if they could see that they would not be barred by it )

Step 2. Convince insurance companies that those garages who meet the standard should enjoy lower premiums.
( more skill = lower claim levels )

Step 3. Increase standards slowly.

[Cliff Johnson]

Licensing technicians is imperative with all the high technology vehicle systems now being used on motor vehicles. It is the untrained who call themselves mechanics and technicians who usually work for cash only carrying out shoddy work that has given our industry such an awful reputation. Anybody can work on a 50 seat
coach or 40 tonne truck with all the associated risk to the passengers and other road users. Whereas a helicopter or plane can only fly with an airworthiness certificate and can only be worked on the licenced
technicians with the qualifications and experience of the particular aircraft.
Surely its a no brainer to have qualified technicians and charge the appropriate hourly rate that will pay the salaries and cover the costs of expensive diagnostic equipment, plus making the appropriate PROFIT that we all need all need to run our business’s. Cliff Johnson LLb (hons) Loughborough Kia

[jim walker]

Mmmmmmm not sure it will work, after all, if we look at Belgium and Germany where I have friends who are vehicle technicians, they are paid a very good salary and are generally regarded on a par with solicitors and professionals generally. In the uk people think some blond bimbo with big lips and boobies who talks with an essex accent is some how far superior to a mechanic who in most peoples eyes is the lowest of the low and the word ENGINEER is swearing, enough said !

[kevan shackleton]

Our industry does need some form of regulation. I’ve been in the motor industry for just under 50 years and licencing was being talked about back then and it’s not happened yet. I don’t think some garages will support it because they employ unskilled “technicians” and pay them peanuts so will be afraid of losing them. That said, there are some very good mechanics out there with no qualifications so how regulation will work is something of a mystery, but it does need to happen to get rid of the “kerbside” bodgers!

[David]

I think any good DIYer would want to up skill in my opinion. We have an apprentice that works at our garage and said last year that he was going to college this year whether the boss liked it or not, so any DIYer not really wanting to up skill will soon be left behind. I’m not however convinced that a solicitor and an engineer can be compared like for like, not sure how that works!

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