Skills Shortage Crisis – FTA

According to FTA’s 2019 Logistics Report, more than half of repair workshop vacancies are unlikely to be filled in the near future.

Head of Automotive at FTA, Lawrie Alford, said: ‘Vehicle mechanics, technicians and fitters play a vital role in keeping the UK’s logistics sector running seamlessly, but the pool of these skilled engineers is declining rapidly. Currently, six million vehicle inspections are undertaken per anum by 30,000 technicians working on HGVs, trailers and PSVs. But unless the skills shortage is tackled, workshops will struggle to keep up with demand and queues for vehicles inspections and repairs will grow longer and longer. Operators will be forced to place their vehicles in ‘downtime’ for increasing periods, which could cause their operations to come grinding to a halt; not ideal for the consumers and businesses who have come to expect superfast, ‘just-in-time’ deliveries.’

For more details, head over to the FTA website.