CEO's Message

MTA CEO, PAUL UNERKOV

The pace of change in running a business in the automotive industry can at times be hard to keep up with, but the one consistent message I get when visiting MTA members is that skill shortages remains the number one challenge for our industry.

The MTA has been listening closely to what members are telling us at zone, divisional and Industry Advisory Council (IAC) meetings and this feedback has been an important part in shaping our response.

Our new School Pathways Coordinator, Andrew Parkes has made substantial inroads with schools across South Australia and his role at the MTA was in direct response to the May 2021 IAC meeting which discussed skill shortages. In terms of results, this has meant over 102 activities completed in schools, 98 work experience requests from industry and 55 students placed during the eight months the program has been running.

If you have not yet met Andy and would consider taking on a work experience student or school-based apprentice, then I encourage you to get in touch with us as soon as you can – we are learning that the sooner you can engage, the more likely a young person is to take on an automotive trade career.

We have also seen great success collaborating with other major employers in the automotive industry at career expos, engaging local car clubs, as well as running our annual open day, to increase exposure to the exciting range of opportunities in automotive.

Together with the largest ever graduating class of MTA apprentices at this year’s MTA Automotive Graduation and Awards event, we are doing everything we can to grow the pipeline of skilled technicians. You can read more about the night on page 28.

We also know that retaining people in our industry is just as critical and so I’m very excited to see Premier Malinauskas make good on his promise to fund an MTA automotive apprentice mentoring program. As we work through the implementation with the government, I look forward to sharing more about how apprentices employed by the industry or directly with the MTA will benefit from this exciting program.

The MTA has also established itself as a leader in hybrid and battery electric vehicle training, which is seeing growing demand from industry across the country. As your business begins to see more of these vehicles enter your workshop, it is critical that you get the right training to ensure the safety of your staff and I encourage you to register your interest for our courses on our website or contact us directly to find out more.

1 July 2022 will be a significant milestone for the industry with the motor vehicle service and repair information sharing (Right to Repair) scheme scheduled to launch, meaning that all businesses with qualified technicians will be able to access service and repair information at a fair market price.

I have spent much of my time over the last couple of months meeting or reacquainting myself with Ministers in the South Australian government, to let them know what automotive needs and how we can work together for the benefit of industry.

One thing is for sure; the MTA’s voice is, and will remain, heard at the highest levels of government. We are, after all, stronger together.