Businesses that encourage people to thrive through employee empowerment, collaboration and wellbeing are the most likely to attract and retain the very best talent, and that’s why progressive workplaces in the commercial vehicle sector are so important. With the sector’s drive to net zero, connected and automated vehicles, our success depends on developing new skills faster than ever – be it cutting-edge design engineers or talented EV and hydrogen technicians – and we need the brightest, most dedicated and healthiest minds to take on the mantle.
For that reason there’s been cause for celebration at SMMT this week as we were recognised as one of Britain’s premier organisations by achieving gold accreditation from Investors in People, the renowned international standard for workplace excellence and people management. From involving all staff in decision-making processes to investing in career growth opportunities and a culture that values diversity and achievement, SMMT’s long-term commitment to employer best practice has been bearing fruit for many years.
Diversity, equity and inclusion is a key piece in the recruitment puzzle and businesses that strive to hire the brightest people from the widest possible talent pool are proven to be the most likely to boost their productivity and creativity. Representation is also very important so it’s been a pleasure recently to see bus stop posters and TV adverts promoting industry diversity, the importance of young people and how virtual reality training is helping the likes of budding welders to practice new skills and build muscle memory.
New technology will attract and upskill a whole new generation of aspirational people in our industry and it’s positive that commercial vehicle businesses are making increasing use of tech such as VR to train technicians, especially for alternatively fuelled vehicles currently being developed that aren’t readily available for customers or training academies. It also opens up a whole new world for the sector – for example, for trainers to provide remote lessons to people anywhere in the world, or giving customers the chance to watch vehicle demonstrations being carried out remotely via a camera-fitted headset.
From the workplace and recruitment to technology and training, we’re on a tide that can lift all boats – but it is down to businesses to be willing to succeed by embracing new solutions.
