The head of Bosch Mobility Aftermarket says the automotive sector must widen access to training, and is warning businesses they risk being left behind if they fail to future-proof themselves.
“You’ll only ever be judged on your last job,” said Kevin Kelly, who also became IAAF President in March, “and that’s true if you are a garage, a motor factor, a distributor or parts supplier. That means it’s really important that the training is there for you.”
Speaking to CAT at Bosch’s UK HQ in Denham, Kelly said bringing training within reach of everyone in the sector will be a major priority during his IAAF presidency. “There’s no lack of training availability in our sector,” he said, “the issue is access. We’ve got vehicle manufacturers, parts manufacturers and motor factors all saying they will put their training on the IAAF platform. Through this, we will make it easy for everyone in the industry to retrain and upskill.”
Both Bosch and the IAAF are sponsoring the all-new Motorvate career showcase running at Automechanika Birmingham in June, with Bosch also set to launch its remote diagnostics offering to the wider aftermarket at the event.
On his new IAAF role, Kelly said: “I started my career as a manufacturing apprentice. It is a great honour to go from such humble beginnings to become President of the IAAF. My predecessor Craig McCracken did a fantastic job raising the IAAF’s profile, and CEO Mark Field has been the driving force making the IAAF the best it can be.”
Kelly believes his appointment will add real value to the organisation’s lobbying proposition. “Bosch already has a strong voice with government,” he said. “We are synonymous with automotive. If you’re Bosch, you can always get a meeting with whoever you want, so having Bosch in the IAAF presidency really helps the whole sector.”
On the EV/hybrid challenge, and the shifting legislative landscape around the technology, Kelly said: “Extending the use of hybrids to 2035 provides stability and clarity for the industry.”
Discussion then moved back to Bosch. Brand recognition is clearly a powerful thing, which is why the name continues to attract garages of all types into its Bosch Car Service network. “At least 25% of new Bosch Car Service members are ex-dealers,” noted Kelly. “They’ve come straight out of the franchised programme into ours because they recognise the need for a network and a mother brand.” The need for all-makes diagnostics, training and parts support is a big draw: “That’s something they’ve not engaged with before.”
Looking at the rise of Bosch Mobility Aftermarket, Kelly said: “We’ve doubled UK turnover since 2017 by unleashing the power of the brand. We have a very simple strategy; we supply parts, diagnostics and workshop services, regardless of powertrain or vehicle. If that car is on the road today, we want to give the right parts to our customers, our distribution partners and our workshops.
“We’re very good at logistics even in the face of several significant challenges in recent years including the Covid-19 pandemic and the Suez crisis. This is despite the fact we don’t have a warehouse in the UK, although that might change, which will be another story down the line.” A case of ‘watch this space’ then.
With consumers and garages looking to cut costs, own brand labels have continued to grow, but Bosch is also increasing its market share. “This shows there’s still a place for a premium brand with premium support,” said Kelly.
Parts pricing has jumped back to top priority in recent weeks thanks to the imposition of U.S trade tariffs by president Donald Trump. Commenting on the topic, Kelly said: “Having uncertainty in any part of the supply chain creates problems, so we are continuing to monitor the situation.”
Looking towards Automechanika Birmingham 2025, taking place 3-5 June at the NEC, Kelly said that Bosch will be will showcasing a number of new services and new platforms, including its new remote diagnostics solution. “This is a huge part of the future for Bosch,” he said. “We launched our remote diagnostics offering last week to the Bosch Car Service network. This service will be launched to the wider market at Automechanika Birmingham.”
The company will also be highlighting its KTS tool, with a particular focus on the secure diagnostic access (SDA) function, which is increasingly important for garages. “That means you can do the work that’s hidden behind the firewall,” he observed.” This is available to anyone with the equipment.”
On training, and the Bosch/IAAF presence within Motorvate, Kelly added: “We do apprentice training for some of the OEMs, including Renault, Suzuki and more, and they’re going to join us. You won’t just come to the show. You can come and sign up for an apprenticeship. There’s going to be up to 100 vacancies available with both independents and dealerships.”
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