Car dealer groups and the wider motor retail sector are being urged to help fill a record number of job vacancies in UK automotive by proudly demonstrating 'There's "More To Motor" than many people's preconceptions.

The Institute of the Motor Industry is highlighting that this is the most exciting time to work in the automotive industry in a century, due to the adoption of electrification and autonomous technologies, yet there are many misconceptions about the sector which have contributed to a shortfall in job opportunities and record high vacancies, with 26,000 roles unfilled.

The IMI has a promotional campaign under way, headed "There's Motor To Motor", and it is appealing for individuals and businesses across the sector to sharing their voice to provide an honest picture of the industry, experiences, and job vacancies.

At an AM webinar on February 22 entitled 'Tempting talent - how motor retail can win the recruitment battle', AM's deputy editor Aimée Turner will be joined by the IMI's president professor Jim Saker and its head of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging Sally-Anne Hodder, plus AM Award-winning TrustFord HR director Sharon Ashcroft and Carolyn Bundey, senior manager of Toyota GB's Academy, to discuss steps employers can take to attract newcomers from outside the industry, whether at trainee or at business management levels. 

Register here to watch the free webinar.

And the IMI has a dedicated 'There's Motor To Motor' campaign website and a toolkit for dealer groups to download and use in their own marketing and social media activity. It also wants more people to share their stories of how they decided on the motor industry for their career or how they changed career from another sector to join an automotive business.

Tina Drayson is one of many who already are sharing their stories. She took a career break from working in finance at a brick manufacturing firm while she had children to then enter the motor industry helping a local garage with its finances.

As the company grew, her role grew too, and she became operations director of the four-site independent repairer group CCM in Sussex and Surrey, overseeing its systems, data and day-to-day running.

She said: "There are so many more opportunities than you would think within the automotive industry, from logistics and distribution to marketing and management. If you have transferable skills, you could step into an independent garage and transform it – whether that’s with website or social media development, finance, data analysis, you can really make a difference."

AM's editor Tim Rose said he was pleased to support the IMI's campaign and encouraged others to spread the word about the great variety of jobs and career paths in motor retail and repair.

"Many of us at AM, myself included, began our careers outside of automotive and brought transferable skills to this sector. It's a fascinating industry to be part of, and one with many opportunities for personal development," he said.

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