News: Customer Service/Care
Further people training required, says IMI
31 December 2007
The British automotive retail sector requires a total 'replacement requirement' of up to 120,000 people in all disciplines across the industry over the next decade.
That's according to the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) which has said that without change there could be a major skills crisis in the sector and that further training and people development is necessary. This potentially could range from customer service and sales training to specialist technical skills.
Sarah Sillars, chief executive of the IMI, said: "With rapid vehicle evolution, a shifting retail landscape and intense scrutiny from consumer groups, a robust and respected retail motor sector of the future means that we need to attract and retain highly capable young people who have got what it takes to make a career in what is a highly credible professional vocation."
According to research from the latest Learning and Skills Council's National Employers Skills Survey, 19 per cent of automotive businesses admit to having a skills shortage, while 5,000 of the 11,000 vacancies require special skills.
