With a persistent shortage of qualified mechanics, Easy2Recruit is urging independent garages to work with schools to attract young people to the industry.
“Many of those getting their exam results will already have chosen a career,” said Ambi Singh, CEO of Easy2Recruit, “and sadly for us as an industry, not enough will be looking towards the garage sector. If we want young people to join our industry, we need to go into schools; we need to be the ambassadors talking to them when they are forming their career aspirations.”
The number of school leavers entering the sector has dropped significantly, while vacancies remain high.
“Even when I was at school, our industry was wrongly portrayed as being a second-class option,” said Ambi. “We need to be part of the solution and show those young people that they can thrive in the independent garage sector, or else the skills shortage will only grow more severe.”
Easy2Recruit helps garages fill vacancies with skilled workers from overseas, but they emphasise the importance of a long-term solution.
As the founder of Easy2Recruit, Ambi knows first-hand about how difficult it already is for garages to obtain qualified staff: “Up until Brexit, one solution for plugging skills gaps was taking on mechanics from the European Union, but now this door is closed.”
To help garages stay fully staffed, Easy2Recruit has been helping automotive businesses access skilled workers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India.
“We cover relocation from overseas right to the garage’s doors in the UK,” said Ambi. “The owner of the garage simply needs to perform a video interview with the candidate. All pastoral care for the overseas worker, including the visa application flight booking and accommodation is then handled by us. Ultimately, we prepare the route for the first day at work.”
To find out more about Easy2Recruit’s staffing solutions, please click here.
