Addressing automotive skills shortages

NEW GATES AUSTRALIA MD

A new Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand has been appointed

Gates Australia recently announced that Rainer Wuenstel has been appointed as Gates Managing Director Australasia. In this role, Rainer is responsible for driving the strategic direction and tactical execution for Gates’ Australia and New Zealand business in alignment with company objectives for growth, performance, compliance and social responsibility.

Rainer is based at the Gates Australia head office in Dandenong South, Victoria, and joins from Mann+Hummel where he was Managing Director, Australia, moving to the region in 2012 from his native Germany. Rainer’s progressive leadership experience helped drive significant revenue and margin expansion via organic growth and new business development initiatives, including entry into new markets. Rainer – who has a degree in Mechanical and Process Engineering – brings to Gates significant experience with Gates Australia’s existing customer base and the company is sure to benefit from his leadership and expertise as Gates continues to grow its presence in the region. “Gates has a long history, a great reputation, produces high-quality products, and is a trusted brand globally,” Rainer said. “The Gates Australia team has a reputation for being very passionate and is highly customer focused. This combination made this position very attractive to me. We have excellent relationships with our distributors, and we will continue to support them with innovative products and dedicated service.” “We will continue to grow the market share of Gates in Australia by working closely with our strategic partners in the automotive and the industrial aftermarket. We will also have a strong focus on the power transmission and fluid power markets where I can see solid growth potential.” For more information, visit www.gatesaustralia.com.au

ADDRESSING AUTOMOTIVE SKILLS SHORTAGES

In this article, ACA Research discusses the current shortage of skilled automotive technicians, which is a well-documented and much-discussed industry issue

Car parc size and the number of workshops are increasing year on year, but the growth in technicians is not sufficient to keep up with demand, leaving a gap that is estimated at 30,000 skilled automotive technicians as of today. While automotive VET courses remain popular with regards to enrolments, the industry doesn’t perform as well in terms of completions. Just over half of those who commenced an apprenticeship in 2015 have completed it, highlighting the scale of the educational challenge. Additionally, it is reasonable to expect that existing technicians will require further training in the years ahead to remain up to date with innovations in areas such as power trains, safety features (for example, ADAS) and so on. This will only place a greater burden on educational providers going forward. To highlight one aspect of the change, we can consider the rise in the number of electric and hybrid vehicles purchased over the last five years. While we are still very much at the beginning of the transition to low and zero emission vehicles, it is broadly recognised that they will play a significant role in the drive to lower carbon emissions, with sales likely to increase exponentially in coming years.

This change has significant implications for workshops in terms of the skills and equipment required to service an electric vehicle. The changing profile of the Australian car parc will require apprentice and trainee technicians to learn on electric and hybrid engines, which will require a reconsideration of training programs and curricula. Decisions will need to be made around whether elements remain separated (for example, mechanical vs electrical), or if new combined modules should be introduced. Consideration is also needed of how best to deliver the necessary training to qualified technicians, and how this can fit around their day-to-day work. So, what does all this mean for the industry? We may not yet have ‘the’ answer to the skills shortage, but what is apparent is the need to strongly consider the potential impact of these trends. We need to consider training needs over the next five years, 10 years and beyond – in terms of both content and delivery. Workshop operators also need to be considering the impact on their own business, and in the context of their personal intentions (for example, retirement). Once they understand the likely timelines for change, they can make decisions around the relevance of these new areas, and the training and equipment they might need to invest in. Finally, looking back to the broader question of skills shortages, the AAAA is well aware of this issue, and is conducting research into it in partnership with the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) and Motor Trades Association of Queensland (MTAQ). This will serve to better understand how the industry can support apprentices at key junctures in their training, and as they move into the workforce. If you are an apprentice (or if you know someone who is), taking part in the research is as easy as scanning the QR code, or going to www.acaresearch.com.au/skillssurvey All apprentices who take part will have the opportunity to win one of a range of great prizes, which include (among others) an ARB Fire Pit, five Chicane 26” 6 Drawer Tool Chests, 40 Hella Uni Max work lamps, and two drive day / hot lap experiences. This column was prepared for AAA Magazine by ACA Research, the AAAA’s partners in the AAAA Aftermarket Dashboard which is delivered to AAAA members each quarter. For more information, visit www.acaresearch.com.au or contact Ben Selwyn on bselwyn@acaresearch.com.au

Figure One: Source: VFACTS National Report: New Vehicle Sales, January 2015 – December 2021