Industry insights on skills needs
The Automotive IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast ranks a list of generic skills in order of importance for each industry sector. The top five ranked generic skills for the Light Vehicle sector (which includes Automotive Electrical) are:
- Technology use and application
- Language, literacy and numeracy (LLN)
- Design mindset/Thinking critically/System thinking/Solving problems
- Science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)
- Communication/Collaboration including virtual collaboration/Social intelligence.
The Automotive IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast indicates that technological change is impacting on the skill needs of this sector. Research suggests that the proportion of electrical components may now account for up to 20% of the vehicle’s value, up from 13% in 2015. Some of this changing technology and increase in electrical components relate to:
- Increased number of passenger vehicles fitted with electronic engines, braking and steering systems
- Autonomous technologies to improve safety, such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that employ lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control
- Novel technologies to improve user experience including haptic sensors, 3D laminated glass and augmented reality heads up displays.
In addition, the evolution of hybrid and battery electric vehicles along with increased consumer demand for larger, greener and more fuel efficient vehicles means technicians must have evolving skill sets so they are able to sufficiently diagnose, service and repair all types of vehicles on the road. A report by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering which examined the readiness of different Australian industry sectors to develop, adopt, and adopt new and emerging technologies found that the Australian transport sector was unprepared in a range of areas, one of which included skills availability with regards to low and zero emission vehicles, connected autonomous vehicles and high frequency mass transport.
As highlighted in the Automotive IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast, industry consultations have supported the need to review a range of qualifications, including those within the Light Vehicle sector (inclusive of Automotive Electrical). The AUR Automotive Retail, Service and Repair Training Package Case for Endorsement states all ‘Diagnose and repair’ units of competency to ensure that skills and knowledge involving methods of gathering and assessing diagnostic information, interpretation of manufacturer procedures, and identifying fault symptoms and causes have been updated to reflect the need for mechanical technicians to be able to diagnose electrical faults due to increased vehicle complexity. New units of competency have been developed for a hybrid/electric vehicles skill set and the units of competency have been updated to ensure technicians have the required training to be able to work safely with high voltages.
The Project 3b Battery Electric Vehicle Repair Case for Change states there is a demand to equip learners with broad skills in electric vehicle repair, and industry consultation has identified a skills gap relating to the advanced diagnosis of electric vehicle powertrains, and heavy electric vehicle service and repair. The uptake of electric vehicles is currently low in Australia. The 2021 State of Electric Vehicles reports that so far in 2021, 8,688 electric vehicles have been sold in Australia, up from 6,900 in 2020, representing 1.57% and 0.78% of all new light vehicle sales respectively. However, a Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) submission highlights the long lead time to complete Automotive electrical training which is at least three years or more for over 68% of apprentices. The Future Fuels and Vehicles Strategy states there has been a 20% increase in the number of battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles available in Australia since February 2021, and by 2030 battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are projected to make up 30% of new light vehicle sales. The State of Electric Vehicles includes the expectation that by the end of 2022, there will be an additional 27 electric vehicle models entering the market, bringing the total to an expected 58 passenger electric vehicle models available in Australia. The report also highlights the state and territory policies which may drive increased uptake of electric vehicles. While most of the policies are directed to incentivise the uptake of private passenger vehicles, the New South Wales government has released a strategy to transition its bus fleet to zero emissions by 2030.
The AUR Automotive Retail, Service and Repair Training Package Case for Endorsement also mentions manufacturer specifications will become a much more prevalent information source in completing tasks. A long-standing issue for independent repairers has been access to information from car manufacturers. In June 2021, the Australian Government passed legislation to establish a mandatory scheme for the sharing of motor vehicle service and repair information. The explanatory memorandum for the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme) Bill 2021 states the Bill amends the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to establish a scheme that mandates all service and repair information provided to car dealership networks and manufacturer preferred repairers be made available for independent repairers and registered training organisations to purchase. The legislation is due to come into effect on 1 July 2022. The Government has also released exposure draft rules to support the mandatory scheme’s implementation and operation.
The VACC submission Recommended JobTrainer Fund Qualifications indicates modelling of skills shortages within the automotive industry shows an estimated shortage of 1,790 positions for Automotive Electricians. Key factors contributing to the high number of skill shortages experienced within the Automotive Industry include that the fleet of vehicles on-road in Australia is growing while annual apprentice commencements in automotive trades have fallen over the last decade, and the transition to hybrid, electric and fuel cell/hydrogen vehicle technologies has placed new and increased skills demands on automotive businesses. The Skills Priority List includes Automotive Electrician under occupations in national shortage, with soft future demand. Analysis conducted by the VACC for their submission to the Skilled Migration Occupation Lists Review shows that the demand for automotive electricians is expected to greatly outstrip the supply over the next decade, with a shortfall of over 1,900 positions projected by 2030.
The description of work undertaken for Project 1q – Cooling and air conditioning in the AUR Automotive Retail, Service and Repair Training Package Case for Endorsement states industry recommends greater rigour in training standards for retrofitting of air conditioning and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems due to numerous safety considerations and risks that have been identified with the task. Skills gaps have also been identified in general tasks such as reading wiring diagrams and identifying gases. Units of competency have been edited to reflect safety and legislative requirements, and air conditioning units of competency have been updated to ensure learners gain knowledge of refrigerants and wiring schematics. The Case for Endorsement also recommends the qualification associated with the obsolete radiator repairer job role, AUR21416 Certificate II in Automotive Cooling System Technology, is amalgamated into AUR21216 Certificate II in Automotive Underbody Technology.
