Temporary brand specialist techs bridge ‘skills gap’ for dealerships

'Manufacturer led programme' now boasts partnerships with seven major manufacturers

Temporary brand specialist techs bridge ‘skills gap’ for dealerships
Autotech Recruit vehicle technicians on the manufacturer-led recruitment programme with Ford.

An innovative recruitment solution is helping leading UK car manufacturers overcome significant losses through the skills shortage, saving dealerships over £11 million in potential lost revenue.

The Manufacturer led programme (MLP) was launched by Autotech Recruit in 2018 to meet growing demand from car manufacturers to tap into the recruitment specialists’ network of 450+ skilled, vetted, temporary vehicle technicians.

To date, Autotech Recruit has formed MLP partnerships with seven major manufacturers, including Ford, Skoda, Toyota, and BMW.

This has resulted in 120 temporary vehicle technicians completing their manufacturer-specific training under MLP, and subsequently filling almost 95,000 hours within franchise dealer networks.

A further 65,000 hours were filled last year by Autotech Recruit’s non MLP temporary vehicle technicians.

Related: Autotech Training doubles MOT manager courses to meet demand

While improving capacity, and quickly counteracting issues surrounding the skills shortage, MLP has helped the industry accrue millions through additional servicing and parts upselling, with one major dealer putting the figure close to £11 million in additional revenue generated by using MLP temporary contractors since the initiative was launched.

“The skills shortage is affecting the entire industry,” explains Simon King, managing director of Autotech Recruit.

“Dealership workshops are no different from independent garages in this respect – they still need to recruit vehicle technicians to ensure they are running at optimum capacity.”

With a shrinking pool of talent, and the need for vehicle technicians to be trained on brand-specific vehicle components, the recruitment process for franchise dealerships needing to fill permanent vacancies, often within multiple sites, is lengthy and complex.

As part of MLP, temporary vehicle technicians are trained to the specific brand standards at the manufacturer’s dedicated training facilities.

Autotech Recruit then provides the contractors with the relevant uniform to ensure a manufacturer’s professional requirements are maintained.

Related: Industry needs greater employee engagement and industry consolidation, says IMI’s Steve Nash

By placing the MLP trained contractors strategically around the country, Autotech Recruit responds effectively and quickly to any staff shortages which arise within the dealer network.

Autotech Recruit also customises its unique, online booking portal to suit each client, providing dealers with total, real-time visibility of bookings and placements across multiple sites alongside the ability to swiftly book temporary vehicle technicians to cover any shortfalls.

Since the launch of MLP, ten per cent of vehicle technicians trained under the programme have subsequently been offered permanent positions.

“It is vital that skilled vehicle technicians are not lost to other industries,” King concludes.

“We invest heavily in our contractors to ensure they are trained to the highest level so we can provide the best solution to our clients.

“This not only ensures the industry can meet growing demand efficiently, but also safeguards the career of vehicle technicians.”

For further information email [email protected] or call 01234 240503.

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