Automotive Skills, officially launched last week as the retail motor industry's Sector Skills Council, is inviting comments on training standards.

Automotive Skills has embarked on a review of national occupational standards and associated qualifications covering vehicle fitting (fast-fit, tyres and mobile electronics and security), vehicle maintenance and repair (light vehicles, heavy vehicles, motorcycles and auto electrical), body and paint operations, and roadside assistance and vehicle recovery.

The first phase of this review is due to be completed by the end of April 2004. By this date Automotive Skills needs to have identified the value of existing training qualification units – to decide whether or not they need updating or replacing – and any gaps in provision. Observations on this review are invited on www.automotiveskills.org.uk.

An Automotive Skills survey indicates that over a quarter of employers in the retail motor sector expect more jobs to be created in sales and maintenance, putting further pressure on the supply of skilled candidates.

- Automotive Skills says the retail motor industry currently has around 69,000 businesses, many of with fewer than 10 employees. The industry is said to represent about 3% of the UK's GDP (£130 billion), and directly employs over half a million people.