The Assessor Winter 2026 PDF - Flipbook - Page 21
respondents highlighting the need
for greater visibility and promotion of
apprenticeships within the education
sector as the most effective long-term
solution.
This acknowledgement of the skills
de昀椀cit re昀氀ects wider industry data.
The Institute of the Motor Industry
has highlighted as much, predicting
a shortfall of more than 35,000
technicians by 2030. Furthermore,
the Institute claims the number of
employees holding its Electric Vehicle
(EV) TechSafe quali昀椀cation will be
22,500 less than necessary in 2035 if
we stay on the same trajectory.
Analysis of the latest apprentice data
shows sharp declines as well. With
automotive apprenticeships falling by
3%, but with occupations within the
body repair sector falling even more
sharply, MET (-36%), Accident Repair
Technician (-23%), Paint Technician
(-9%).
As the sector continues to raise
concerns about skills, more than half
(56%) of business-based respondents in
our survey observed that vehicle repair
has become more dif昀椀cult in the past
12 months – making it their primary
challenge in returning cars to the
road in pre-accident condition. This,
they reveal, is driven in large part by
complexity of materials, High Voltage
and ADAS systems appearing on new
vehicles.
The second most prominent challenge
(54%) noted during the past year was
a lack of technical repair capabilities in
handling EVs and ADAS components.
Greatest challenges in returning crash-damaged vehicles to the road in
pre-accident condition (Source: Potential Insight Survey, CEBR analysis).
RESPONDING POSITIVELY
AND CALMLY TO THESE
CHALLENGES
Taken together, the factors outlined
previously go some way to explaining
why insurability as a whole is seen as
the biggest challenge by respondents.
Rising repair costs (63%), growing
technological complexity (60%) and
the slow but steady takeover of the
car parc by EVs (55%) is a potent mix
compounding the pressure on the
insurance ecosystem.
But it needn’t all be doom and gloom.
Separating each of the component
problems to make them easier to
assess and respond to is a good
starting point. Many bodyshop
businesses are already doing just that.
As I’ve previously noted, now is actually
a good time to make a reasonable dent
in the skills de昀椀cit. Thatcham Research
data shows claims frequency is slowing.
With this in mind work昀氀ows may be
less frantic. Of course, this may simply
be a temporary relief. But it still gives
managers the breathing space to
take a step back, audit required skills
and arrange suitable training and
recruitment to plug any gaps.
When it comes to issues such as repair
method availability and integrating
‘insurability by design’ into vehicle
production – preventing repair
problems at source – bodyshops
are somewhat at the mercy of VMs’
involvement in the process.
That’s why Thatcham Research is
intensifying discussions with incumbent
and new VMs, helping them to identify
potential vehicle risks and proposing
data-led repair solutions. This
Automotive Risk Intelligence driven
data can then be shared with repair
and insurance businesses.
The new research is a stark reminder
that automotive professionals across
the spectrum – from VM-based
engineers to repair technicians working
on vehicles, and insurers inspecting
and underwriting the cars we
drive – feel vulnerable to the rapid
changes going on around us.
With claims frequency slowing, it could be an ideal time for businesses to audit required skills
within their workforce and arrange suitable training and recruitment to plug any gaps.
Ultimately, the future resilience of
the repair sector will depend on our
collective commitment to bridging
the skills gap through investment
in training and supporting new
talent. This, alongside forging closer
collaboration with manufacturers,
insurers, and repairers, can ensure that
the workforce is equipped to meet
the demands of increasingly complex
vehicles.
JOURNAL
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