Automotive Industrial Partnership Leading the Way on Skills
The Automotive Industrial Partnership is urging employers to join the organisation to boost skills across the sector. The household names driving the £30 million government and industry initiative are Bentley, BMW, Ford, GKN, Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, Toyota and Vauxhall…
Jo Lopes, Chair of the Automotive Industrial Partnership and head of Technical Excellence, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “The Automotive Industrial Partnership brings together the industry’s employers on an unprecedented scale. By working collaboratively and taking an innovative and sector-wide approach, we can ensure that the UK’s automotive sector can grow and retain the skills talent that is so vital for the industry’s continued success.”
Through the Partnership, manufacturers and suppliers are working together to identify and meet the skills needs for their current and future workforces. Activity includes creating an industry standard “jobs framework” and clear development pathways to encourage more young people into automotive manufacturing careers.
Existing employees at all levels are also benefiting from industry collaboration to strengthen their technical, management and leadership skills. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are being supported to gain access to industry standard skills development. While talented, qualified engineers from other professions, such as the Armed Forces, will be able to train to apply their knowledge and skills in the automotive industry.
One of the Automotive Industrial Partnership’s current priorities is conducting in-depth research to identify where skills shortages exist in the sector now or where they could develop in the future. Jo Lopes is calling on as many employers as possible to take part.
“It’s vital that we know the views of suppliers of all sizes and tiers if we are to take the right action now to ensure an effective pipeline of future talent – from new entrant technicians through to the specialist engineers and managers we will need” he explained.
“The findings will be used to help determine where, when and how future skills investment is prioritised. In turn, this will inform the development of new employer led learning and development solutions the whole industry will benefit from.
“By working together we have the opportunity to mould the future of our industry – and address the very real challenges that we face,” he added.
Employers can complete the survey online until the end of July, or arrange a face-to-face interview with a researcher.
To take part in the survey, go to www.automotiveip.co.uk or email enquiries@automotiveip.co.uk
