New Lincoln RMI Academy training site opens

The RMI has opened its fourth Academy of Automotive Skills training site in Lincoln.

The new facility, opened by local MP Karl McCartney, forms part of the RMI’s commitment to address the skills shortage in the automotive industry, it said.

Stuart James, RMI director, said: “As the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars approaches, the lack of technicians skilled in hybrid and electric vehicle repair is one of the biggest threats to this plan.

“We would like to thank Mr McCartney for supporting our efforts in this step forward to provide the skills needed for technicians in the local community to repair the growing number of hybrid and electric vehicles on our roads.”

The new training site joins existing facilities in Runcorn, Winchester and Southam, where MOT and technical training courses are available to all garages in the motor trade, said the RMI.

MP for Lincoln Karl McCartney said: “I am absolutely delighted to see a new training centre for automotive technicians opening within my constituency, offering as it does a wonderful opportunity for young people in our community to learn skills that will support them for the rest of their lives.

“But by partnering a fantastic long-standing local firm with a dedicated expert professional body, to focus on Hybrid and EV vehicle training, this particular centre also puts Lincoln at the cutting edge of technology.

“This will offer a double-whammy of opportunity for trainees and the sector as a whole, at a time when only around 5% of technicians in the UK are currently qualified to work on these vehicles.”

The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has called for a £15 million investment in electric vehicle (EV) technician training from the Government.