Steve Nash, CEO of The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has welcomed the return of mandatory MOT testing from 1 August. “The exemption from mandatory MOT testing announced at the end of March made sense at that time. But our sector moved very quickly to ensure it could work safely and support motorists during the lockdown,” he said.
Kathryn Beaurain, marketing director of wheel servicing equipment specialist Pro-Align, has been recognised by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) for her ongoing support of the IMI Skill Auto competitions. Receiving one of five awards presented at the IMI’s Annual Dinner, Kathryn received the award for her Contribution to the Work of the IMI, having supported the industry’s Skill Auto competitions for the last six years.
The Automotive Aftermarket Liaison Group (AALG) presented its new lobbying position on European issues that affect the aftermarket in a post-Brexit Britain at a press launch today (Tuesday 23 May) at Silverstone race track.
Steve Nash, CEO of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), has presented UK chancellor of the exchequer Philip Hammond with his ‘wishlist’ for next week’s Spring Budget. Top of the list is a request for the Chancellor to do more to encourage motorists to adopt new technologies – rather than penalising motorists driving the ‘wrong’ cars.
Steve Nash, chief executive of the Institute for the Motor Industry, is calling for government and education bodies to ensure that schools are giving the most impartial advice to young people, given that the mandatory education or training participation age is now raised to 18.
Steve Nash, CEO of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) comments on the manifestos of the main political parties: “It’s tremendously encouraging to see that every political party is making a commitment to the concept of apprenticeships. But we do have a concern about whether the real thinking has been done behind the promises. […]
IMI has launched a series of online vehicle diagnostics training modules, funded by digital solutions charity Jisc. The resources will be free to access through the IMI’s eLearning platform, acquired in 2014 by the IMI. They are aimed at individuals with a background in car maintenance and level 3 qualifications, providing technicians with an opportunity to brush up their diagnostic skills and learn new ones. Modules will be made available to IMI Members first before becoming accessible to the wider industry.
The warning follows IMI sponsored research from the Industry Apprentice Council (IAC), which showed that 45 per cent of current industry apprentices had received poor or no advice and guidance on their career choice. Meanwhile, less than 10 per cent said a careers advisor or teacher had helped them find out about apprenticeships. There is currently no statutory requirement for young people to have access to face to face careers advice.
Road safety charity, Brake and Direct Line have released data on drivers’ attitudes when it comes to vehicle safety checks and basic maintenance. Almost half of respondents admitted to driving with at least one risky vehicle problem or defect. The IMI, the professional body for the motor industry which is campaigning for the licensing of the retail motor trade, believes fears of being over-charged or given poor service by garages are probably contributing to motorists’ attitudes.
The Institute of the Motor Industry confirmed it will be changing the title of Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA), along with Automotive Management Accreditation (AMA), to ‘IMI Accreditation’ as part of the IMI’s brand overhaul. ATA was first established in 2005 to act as a voluntary licence to practise for the automotive sector and takes the form of practical and knowledge based assessments designed to test the current competence of an individual in their job role.
After the Conservative Party joined Labour in pledging increased apprenticeship opportunities, the Institute of the Motor Industry has urged political parties to think carefully about how to improve such positions. Steve Nash, CEO of the IMI which represents the UK retail motor industry, is pleased to hear the latest political party promise about apprenticeships. But he’s concerned that the issue is just becoming one of the items on the list of ‘vote winner’ promises without, necessarily, addressing the challenge of how to attract young people to apprenticeships.
The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) is preparing to launch a lobbying campaign when Parliament returns from recess, and will call on MPs to license the automotive retail sector. And what the IMI is calling for is something most of the UK apparently thinks we already have – quoting the results of recent research, the IMI says more than 70 per cent of voters think it’s already a requirement for technicians in the motor industry to hold a licence to practise.