EV Transition Drives Apprentice Recruitment As Industry Skills Up For “Green Growth Decade”

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While some leaders demonstrate bravery and perseverance in confronting a backward-thinking, money-soaked attack on the poor and the unconscious middle class. Across the Atlantic, people are thinking about current and future generations. Top UK automotive firms are putting resources into a significant skills drive that will boost apprenticeship numbers by nearly a sixth by 2025, according to a new poll by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Manufacturers are embarking on a “green growth decade.”

More than 700 new apprenticeships are available from top UK automotive businesses as part of a substantial commitment to promote the “green growth decade.” Promising new opportunities exist for design engineers and EV technicians, as well as battery and vehicle software expertise. Skills England and the new Growth and Skills Levy can help the automotive industry develop by up to £50 billion over the next decade, but success is dependent on workforce change.

In the last two years alone, almost £20 billion has been invested in Britain’s EV transition, which has increased demand for a highly qualified workforce knowledgeable about the newest technologies.

More than 550 new apprentices have already joined the industry this academic year, and there are still 740 apprenticeships available, which reflects the demand. Apprenticeship rates are expected to rise by nearly a sixth (16%) among the main automotive businesses assessed by SMMT. According to the most recent full year of apprenticeship data, that growth builds on prior years, with a 40.8% increase in new apprenticeship starts in 2023 alone. This trend is expected to continue to provide long-term, well-paying, and fulfilling professions to the UK over the next ten years.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “Britain’s automotive sector is on the cusp of a ‘green growth decade’ with billions being invested in EVs and, crucially, in a new generation of talent to design, build, and maintain them. There is little doubt that automotive is one of the world’s most exciting industries, and, as we seek growth, we need new-skilled apprentices that can grow with us. Our promise is well-paid, rewarding careers for years to come.”

There are hundreds of intriguing and fresh possibilities available, ranging from R&D and production to the supply chain, maintenance, and repair. The most in-demand highly qualified positions are those for design and development engineers, EV technicians, and battery and power electronics specialists. With more than 180 different zero-emission vehicle models — cars, vans, trucks, and buses — currently on the market in the UK and more on the horizon in 2025, these positions represent an increasingly environmentally conscious sector.

However, faster decarbonisation and green growth necessitate a workforce that is capable of driving them. Apprenticeship training must stay up with the very newest automobile technologies, including how to design, produce, test, maintain, and repair the most recent vehicles. This makes the skills transition a top priority for industry, and the establishment of Skills England and the new Growth & Skills Levy will aid in improving provision and access to automotive training for firms of all sizes and in all parts of the United Kingdom.

According to the SMMT’s Vision 2035, industry is prepared to provide more than £50 billion in green growth over the next decade through an industrial strategy centered on UK automotive. Green talents for a greener future is a core commitment of the strategy, which must:

• Allow the development of future local talent while keeping and upskilling the existing workforce.
• Increase the visibility of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), automotive, and manufacturing disciplines in Further Education.
• Provide an online National Upskilling Platform that allows automotive businesses of all sizes to be informed about and participate in upskilling;
• Reform the previous Apprenticeship Levy to encourage existing workers—including former apprentices—to receive short-term training in important sectors such as electrification and digitization.

Source: SMMT