Women are among a number of underrepresented groups still not entering automotive despite their skills being in huge demand, the industry is being warned.
On the eve of International Women’s Day 2026 (Sunday, 8 March) major names from across the industry are calling for the sector to work in unison to draw in fresh talent by highlighting the ever-increasing range of roles on offer.
Automotive continues to face a significant staff shortfall, with IMI figures recording 16,000 open vacancies in January 2026. Regardless of the opportunities, many potential candidates are still not keen. “Despite the fast evolution of automotive technology blurring the lines between technical and digital and sustainability skills,” said IMI Head of Research, Careers and Inclusion Emma Carrigy, “almost half of the population is still not being attracted to motor industry jobs. It’s incredible.”
Carrigy continued: “Our latest Automotive Workforce Baseline Report underlines that there is still much work to do to shift the balance on gender in the automotive workforce. The latest data covering October 2023 to September 2024 shows women made up only 18.6% of the overall automotive workforce, compared to 50.8% in non-automotive industries and 52.7% in the overall working-age population. In maintenance and repair roles, female representation is just 11.3% and across the sector women hold only 10.4% of senior roles.”
The age profile is of equal concern: “Nearly half of women in the sector are over 45, while women account for just 4.7%, in the youngest 16–24 age group, signalling a serious pipeline risk.”
She added: “Although female representation has increased for three consecutive years, growth of around 1% annually is too slow to deliver meaningful change. Structural underrepresentation must be addressed if we are to attract diverse talent, strengthen innovation and keep automotive thriving.”
Support
Louise Baker, founder of Birmingham-based Womanic agrees: “I’ve worked in this trade for a long time and there’s been massive change, but it’s not enough. Every week I receive multiple messages from people including girls and young women who don’t know where to start or have had doors closed in their face. Just a few weeks ago I received one from a girl who actually had people laughing at her because she was doing what was traditionally a male job with HGV trucks.
“I’m also asking my network and contacts to offer support, ranging from placements to full apprenticeships. We’ll need to work together because the skills gap isn’t going anywhere unless we do this.”
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Louise Baker[/caption]
Another high profile figure, Randeep Reehal from Uxbridge-based Courtwood Car Services, noted that it is not just women who are under-represented. “Like many others I care deeply about better representation,” she said. “I’m not only female, but I’m also of South Asian heritage and sometimes I feel there’s a double barrier.
“It’s not like the industry is short of resources or marketing budgets to get people’s attention, or big teams that can take people on. Women and girls often don’t see themselves in those roles because they’ve been pitched as male. We have to get in there sooner when schools are talking about STEM subjects and shaping future careers.”
Knowledge and experience
Having a family connection helps observed Holly Leason from Gravity Centre Garage in Wandsworth: “If it wasn’t for my family business, I probably wouldn’t have considered a career here. We’re specialists and have so much to offer the market but the path wouldn’t have been so obvious or accessible if I didn’t understand the place already.”
There is another side to this though “Women in this industry shouldn’t have their knowledge and experience ignored, just because they might be related to the male leaders or the business. Our knowledge is just as credible. I would love to see more women in all sorts of roles. There’s such a need and it’s crazy that we aren’t actively going out recruiting women in different sectors.”
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Holly Leason[/caption]
Someone who did make the leap from another industry into the aftermarket is Kay Fellows from Stourbridge Automotive: “With an initial career in fashion, I would never have considered being in the automotive industry until my husband set up in business 16 years ago. The trade has definitely moved forward since then, but there are so many roles where women can flourish and add value, not only as a technician, but in business development and management, product design, sales and leadership roles.”
Conscious effort
Kerrie Richards, Director at sector recruitment specialists Glen Callum, noted that things need to change, but this needs to be a deliberate choice: “The strongest teams I see are balanced teams, and that balance happens when leaders make a conscious effort to open up opportunity to the best person for the job, regardless of gender.”
Is she seeing progress? “Yes, within commercial and office-based roles, but there is room to go further. Women remain under-represented in commercial, operational and senior leadership roles, while in other areas, such as HR, where around three quarters of roles are held by women, representation is much stronger. The industry is clearly welcoming female professionals, but often only into certain functions.”
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Kerrie Richards[/caption]
Richards added: “For me, the next step is encouraging women to step into the full range of roles they are capable of, especially leadership and commercial positions. It’s about broadening our thinking about where women can thrive within the sector and making sure opportunities are visible and open to them”
Lead, innovate, and thrive
Asked what women and other groups bring to the workplace, Sue McKay who heads up the Gender Balance Committee for the IAAF challenged the assertion: “It is not a question of what women bring to the workplace, and this is exactly the narrative we need to change.
“When we talk about women in our industry, the conversation often drifts toward justifying their presence by listing the benefits they offer. Quite honestly, that mindset is outdated. The real point is this; by creating a fairer, more balanced, and unbiased gender landscape, we ensure that our sector is drawing from the full breadth of talent, capability, and skillsets available. That is what strengthens our businesses. That is what strengthens our industry.”
McKay concluded: “A gender-balanced workplace isn’t about favouring one group over another. It’s about removing unnecessary barriers so that everyone can contribute at their highest level. And in an automotive aftermarket that is evolving rapidly through technology, digitalisation, and new market pressures, we simply cannot afford to limit who has the opportunity to lead, innovate, and thrive.”
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