The Test Centre Training celebrates the annual Earth Day

Company says the industry should be doing more to clean up its act

The Test Centre Training celebrates the annual Earth Day

To mark the recent Earth Day, The Test Centre Training celebrated the achievements of the environmental movement and raised awareness of the need to protect the Earth’s natural resources.

Transport is the largest carbon emitting sector of the UK economy, responsible for 25 percent of total UK greenhouse gas emissions.

Over half the UK’s transport emissions (52 percent) come from cars, so the industry has a huge part to play in reducing emissions. The UK government’s target is for 80 percent of new cars and 70 percent of new vans sold in Great Britain be set to zero emission by 2030, increasing to 100 percent by 2035.

In addition, by 2030, the government plans to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. With these commitments, it’s vital that the infrastructure of trained personal is available and ready.

Des Hall, manager from The Test Centre Training said: “The sector has made good progress, but we are still looking at a potential 16,000 shortfall of technicians by 2032.

“The transition to EVs represents a multifaceted challenge, from upskilling thousands of technicians to finding innovative solutions for maintaining these vehicles. There is still a lot of uncertainty in the industry, especially also now with the development of hydrogen cars.

“But realistically the future is electric, the UK government has invested in the manufacturing of these vehicles and all the infrastructure; so, we know electric is here to stay. There are no new regulations relating to the training of technicians working on electric vehicles, but employers are liable for ensuring the safety of their workforce under the Electricity at Work Act 1989.

“We recommend that all technicians working on electric vehicles undergo accredited training against a regulated professional standard. It important that businesses ensure they are meeting their corporate responsibilities. We have courses available from Level 1 to 4, and we encourage technicians to complete a minimum of Level 3. It’s just a two-day course resulting in a vocational qualification.

Ian Wills, manager of The Test Centre, the busiest MOT garage in the UK, reiterates how important it is that his workforce are qualified for electric vehicles, by adding: “We are seeing an increase of these vehicles for MOT and as the director, it is my responsibility to ensure all my team can work safely on these vehicles; I have a legal obligation.

“Safety is the priority, but also, we still want to maintain efficiency in our business. Being the busiest MOT garage, our testers must be confident and efficient working on these vehicles, so their training is a top priority for the success of our business.”

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