Mechanics and MOT testers on the move
▶ As demand for highly-skilled, temporary vehicle technicians gains traction across the UK, a new company is offering to place mechanics where they’re needed, when they’re needed. Autotech Recruit has the largest network of skilled temporary mechanics, vehicle technicians and MOT testers in the country, supplying expertise for anyone from small independent garages to major global brands such as BMW, Ford, Volvo and Kwik Fit.
As garages and dealerships can face a financial loss of up to £2000 per day through either empty bays or by turning away vehicles because they don’t have the manpower to work on them, there is a huge potential for taking on temporary mechanics without committing to costly overheads, to offer cover due to illness, holidays or simply an unexpected increase in work. There is also the problem that, as vehicles become increasingly reliant on sophisticated electronics, the skills gap is widening and businesses have been left struggling to keep up.
Autotech Recruit has witnessed an increase in demand for temporary cover over the last 12 months. “Demand for temporary technicians is growing at an unprecedented rate,” says managing director Gavin White. “The skill set required today to service vehicles has become increasingly complex, and demand placed on garages is high. Couple this with holidays and sick days, and taking on a temporary technician is quickly becoming the solution to keep a garage running efficiently.”
According to reports, almost half of the entire working population of the UK will be freelance by 2020. While originally the mainstay of media, marketing and IT execs, the self-employed route is creeping into other sectors, including the motor industry. Consequently, there is a growing pool of mechanics and vehicle technicians becoming ‘temps’ as they realise the opportunities available to organise work in a way that suits their temperament and lifestyle.
Pete Owens, a qualified mechanic and MOT tester from Swansea, took the freelance route three years ago and joined Autotech Recruit in a bid to increase his earning potential and achieve a better work/life balance. “I was initially daunted by the prospect,” Pete admits. “However, after becoming disillusioned as a permanent worker, I wanted to escape the garage politics and take my career in a new direction, and I haven’t looked back. I’m always in work and I’m rarely in the same place twice.”
Contact Autotech Recruit at hello@autotechrecruit.co.uk or call 01234 240503 for further information.