Apprenticeships, a driving force behind UK automotive innovation since our industry began, are as important as ever in 2024 with an extensive number of employers seeking to introduce a change culture, of new ideas and cutting-edge technical skills. It stands to reason then that the number of apprentices across the country has been rising year on year since the pandemic, amid colossal business investment in new products and careers which are delivering future mobility.
Successful automotive businesses always adapt and, just as products are changing so is the employment market, so updating recruitment strategies should be a priority. In particular, progressive and diverse staffing is proven to enhance business creativity and productivity. It also widens the pool of prospective candidates – important given the UK skills gap with rising competition between different industries for new technology talent.
SMMT continues to champion diversity in the sector and, this month, we’re hosting two DE&I workshops, in partnership with Mercer Marsh Benefits and Queerify, which will be attended by DE&I leads and LGBTQ+ allies across the sector. We also directly support young people in our industry through Drive to Thrive, with a fresh round of funding for the 2024/25 academic year providing up to 44 hours of driving lessons to disadvantaged and minority background apprentices.
Not everyone is able to drive or access personal transport, however, and this week’s £500 million bus operator investment to roll out more than a thousand British-built zero emission buses while supporting some 2,500 UK jobs is good news, driving growth while helping greener, quieter and smoother public transport services to reach more regions.
Major bus operators have ambitious decarbonisation plans and bus manufacturers, like the entire automotive industry, have invested massively to bring zero emission vehicles to market. A long-term strategy is needed for smaller and rural operators, however, given they are more challenged to meet the upfront cost of new electric or hydrogen buses along with the required depot infrastructure. We look forward to further details on the new UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel, therefore, which can help more people across the country to benefit from mass green mobility.
