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Severe shortage of car mechanics. F.P.
Car workshops in Spain warn of serious shortage of mechanics

Car workshops in Spain warn of serious shortage of mechanics

EMPLOYMENT ·

The shortage of applicants for car mechanic courses is so serious that the selection criteria have been lowered to attract workers from other sectors, according to Euromaster

C.M.

Friday, 17 March 2023, 12:45

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Car workshops in Spain are warning of the lack of professionals to replace the ageing workforce, in a country with nearly 30 million vehicles. According to Euromaster chain, the shortage of applicants for car mechanic courses is so severe that the selection criteria have been lowered to attract workers from other sectors, such as factory workers or farm workers.

Euromaster said one problem is the lack of vocational training that is not capable of generating a pool of young people for the workshop sector. The car maintenance group also said that many young people attending car mechanic courses are not interested in the profession, resulting in a poorly motivated pool of young people. Conversely, it was found that workers from other sectors were more motivated and it was worth investing the time and effort to retrain them.

Euromaster said the sector has decided to take action aimed at reversing the problem with improved training and a move to and attract professionals from other countries and women, who are under-represented in the industry. Another strategy is to introduce content related to vehicle maintenance in schools.

Francis Ferreria, director general of Euromaster, said: "Spain is the country with the highest rate of youth unemployment in Europe and we have an educational offering disconnected from the world of work, with an over-qualification that causes many strategic sectors to be left without generational replacement, such as the car workshop.

“It is time to get down to work and reverse the situation, because in the long term, with workforces currently ranging between 40 and 50 years of age, we are going to have serious problems in supplying workshops with the professionals they need, and this affects the continuity of businesses as their children do not take over, and entrepreneurship".

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