Training and technical body, the IMI has warned of a ‘dire shortage of skills’ if the industry loses track of the thousands of apprentices currently on furlough.
For this reason, the IMI has launched a ‘Furlough Register’ for apprentices to ensure they don’t fall out of the loop.
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Warning that 83 percent of apprentices were unable to study as they did before lockdown, Steve Nash, CEO of the IMI
commented: “A big concern for us in terms of whether the apprentices will actually return to the workplace at the end of the furlough period. And that is not only a risk for the sector as it needs to be well prepared and well-skilled for the next generation of automotive technology. It is also a huge waste of the investment already made by the apprentices, their training centres and employers.”
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Feedback to the IMI suggests that communication with furloughed employees. Apprentices have also reported looking for their own ways to continue their studies, using their initiative to access sources of learning materials and teaching themselves, which the new register will provide.
“The goal with the IMI Furlough Register is to be able to easily identify the apprentices who need support – and provide them with a range of learning tools they can access for free as and when they need them”, concluded Steve Nash.
Apprentices can complete the IMI survey here to join the Furlough Register.
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