Hundreds of Qualified Young Technicians Left on the Sidelines as the Skills Crisis Deepens

More than 830 newly qualified vehicle technicians are actively seeking work across the UK, despite thousands of unfilled vacancies, service delays for drivers and a looming retirement wave.

The figures, released by Autotech Academy, reveal a stark disconnect at the heart of the motor industry: a generation of qualified, work-ready vehicle technicians struggling to secure their first role, while workshops nationwide remain short-staffed.

In November, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) estimated there were around 17,000 vacancies across the motor trade. Although that figure has eased slightly, recruitment pressure in automotive remains around a quarter higher than the national average. The pressure is being intensified by an ageing workforce. Nearly one in five technicians is now aged 55 or over, and almost half of the sector is over 45, leaving the industry exposed to a wave of retirements. 

That demographic shift is already having consequences. The Daily Telegraph recently warned that motorists are facing longer waits for repairs and rising costs driven by what it described as an “alarming shortage of technicians”. The IMI estimates that by 2032 as many as 144,000 technicians could retire, further shrinking the pool of skilled workers needed to keep the UK’s vehicles safe and roadworthy.

Yet Autotech Academy says the idea that young people are unwilling to enter the trade does not match what they are seeing.

“There are hundreds of newly qualified technicians we are in contact with who are ready to work right now,” comments Simon King, CEO of Autotech Group. “They’ve undertaken the training, hold all the relevant theory and are actively looking for roles. The shortage isn’t because young people don’t want these jobs, it’s because too many can’t get that crucial first chance.”

Autotech Academy works with colleges across the UK to help newly qualified Level 2 and Level 3 automotive students transition into employment through paid internships. Five years on from its launch, over 500 newly qualified technicians have entered the industry via the programme.

But Simon warns that time is running out for many of those still waiting.

“What we’re seeing is newly qualified technicians taking jobs in retail, hospitality and logistics simply to pay the bills,” he said. “Once they settle into those sectors, many won’t come back. If the automotive industry doesn’t act, this talent will be lost – not because it wasn’t there, but because it wasn’t picked up in time.”

The consequences, he argues, extend far beyond individual workshops. “This isn’t just about filling vacancies today,” Simon adds. “It’s about whether the UK has enough people in the talent pool to keep its cars on the road in five or ten years’ time. With a wave of retirements coming, failing to bring new people through now will make today’s problems look small by comparison.”

With hundreds of newly qualified technicians already seeking work and thousands more set to leave college this summer, Autotech Academy says the industry faces a simple choice: create clear routes into employment now or watch a vital generation of talent drift elsewhere. 

Simon concludes: “The next generation is ready. The question is whether the industry is ready to give them a start.”