Automotive Vehicle Body Repair

Training snapshot

In 2021 there were around 4,670 program enrolments in Automotive – Vehicle Body Repair-related qualifications, up from the 2020 enrolment numbers of 3,860. Completions have also increased with around 950 recorded in 2021.

A significant proportion of enrolments in 2021 were at the certificate III level (88%). Around half of the enrolments in 2021 were for qualifications relating to Automotive Body Repair Technology (50%) with the main intended occupation of Vehicle Body Builder, and a further 39% of enrolments were for qualifications relating to Automotive Refinishing Technology with the only intended occupation of Vehicle Painter.

More than half of the enrolments in 2021 were at private training providers (51%), with most of the remaining occurring at TAFE Institutes (roughly 48%). The majority of subjects were Commonwealth and state funded (92%), with 7% funded by domestic fee for service.

During 2021, over a third of students who enrolled were from New South Wales (34%), followed by Queensland (26%) and Victoria (19%). Similarly, around a third of the training was delivered in New South Wales (33%), with more than one quarter delivered in Queensland (27%) and 20% in Victoria.

Apprentice and trainee commencements and completions have both decreased overall between 2012 and 2021. Commencements, however, increased by nearly 44% between 2020 and 2021, with around 1,700 recorded in 2021. There were roughly 610 completions in 2021, a very slight increase on the number recorded during 2020. The main intended occupations for the apprenticeships and traineeships were Vehicle Painter and Vehicle Body Builder. Nearly a third of apprentices and trainees in training during 2021 were reported by New South Wales (31%), followed by Queensland (23%) and Victoria (22%).

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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 Vehicle Body Repair sector are:

• Design mindset/Thinking critically/System thinking/Solving problems
• Communication/Collaboration including virtual collaboration/Social intelligence
• Language, literacy and numeracy (LLN)
• Technology use and application
• Learning agility/Information literacy/Intellectual autonomy and self-management.

The Automotive IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast identified Vehicle Body Repair as one of the sectors where training components have not yet adapted to advancements in technology. The Vehicle Body Repair sector has been impacted by a range of new technologies which influence the type of skills and knowledge required in this sector, including advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and paintless dent repair (PDR). As a result, a review of Vehicle Body Repair qualifications has been completed to ensure training is adapted to technological advancements that are impacting on:

• More advanced automotive materials and equipment
• Vehicles and systems that are interconnected and interdependent
• OEM requirements
• Changing consumer preferences and increased awareness.

The outcomes of the review, detailed in the AUR Automotive Retail, Service and Repair Training Package Case for Endorsement, have included:

• Vehicle Body Repair qualifications – new units of competency for applying knowledge of ADAS technology in vehicle pre-repair scans and repairing high strength aluminium components have been created, and units have been updated to reflect changes in composite material technology and to provide opportunities for gaining foundational level skills in paintless dent repair.
• Vehicle Body Repair Certificate II – to address the need for a trade assistant role within the vehicle body repair sector that had been identified by industry, and to reflect a basic understanding of both the paint and panel elements of vehicle body repair is typically required, the elective bank of the qualification has been restructured to include three streams for body repair, paint, and glazing.
• Automotive re-finishing – the certificate III qualification has been restructured to ensure operation of paint drying equipment is included in the core bank, and units of competency have been updated to emphasise knowledge of different drying processes, colour science, and techniques to address the shortage of technicians in this subsector, and a need to meet skills gaps in newer paints and technologies that has been identified by industry.
• Automotive glazing – to address significant changes in skill requirements due to new chemical and bonding methods and an increased importance of adhering to safety procedures, the certificate III has been restructured to focus on key units of competency for technical processes including installing vehicle windows and glass components, and units of competency have been updated to include key safety issues, such as sourcing original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications, safe manual handling procedures, calibration of advanced driver assist systems, and working at height for heavy vehicle glazing operations.

The AUR Automotive Retail, Service and Repair Training Package Case for Endorsement also highlights 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 New South Wales (NSW) Government has reviewed the law regulating the NSW automotive industry. The Statutory Review of the Motor Dealers and Repairers Act 2013 Discussion Paper identifies four major trends in automotive technologies: electrification, automation, connectivity and sharing. As technology used in cars becomes more complex, work that was once simple requires a higher skill set and there is a need for greater skills, training and specialised equipment. The final report includes three recommendations relevant to repair work:

• The current repair classes and qualifications should be retained and the Department of Customer Service will establish a six monthly check in with industry to ensure the classes of repair work reflect the current working environment.
• Qualification requirements should continue to be embedded in the regulatory framework, but they should be removed from the Regulation and a power inserted in the Act to allow them to be approved by Ministerial Order to improve the ability to adapt to rapid changes in the industry.
• A cost benefit analysis should be undertaken of motor vehicle tradespersons being required to undertake specified further training in order to renew their tradesperson certificate.

The Skills Priority List includes Panelbeater and Vehicle Painter under occupations in national shortage, with moderate future demand. Occupations not in national shortage, with strong future demand include Autoglazier, Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories Fitter (General), and Vehicle Body Builder and Vehicle Trimmer. Modelling undertaken by the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) for their Recommended JobTrainer Fund Qualifications submission estimates national shortages in 2019-20 of 2,620 positions for vehicle spray painters, with 2,615 for panel beaters, 330 for vehicle detailers, and 140 for vehicle trimmers.

Below is a list of industry-relevant research, organisations and associations. Hyperlinks have been included where available.

IRC and skills forecasts

Automotive Vehicle Body Repair Industry Reference Committee

• Automotive IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast
• IRC membership
• PwC’s Skills for Australia – Skills Service Organisation

Relevant research

AUR Automotive Retail, Service and Repair Training Package Case for Endorsement – PwC’s Skills for Australia

Automotive Right to Repair passes the Senate and is now law – Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association

Competition and Consumer Amendment (Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme) Bill 2021 explanatory memorandum – Australia. Treasury

Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme: Scheme Rules - Australian Government. Treasury

Recommended JobTrainer Fund Qualifications – Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC)

Skills Priority List – National Skills Commission

Statutory Review of the Motor Dealers and Repairers Act 2013 Discussion Paper – New South Wales. Better Regulation Division, Department of Customer Service

Statutory Review of the Motor Dealers and Repairers Act 2013, dated November 2020 – New South Wales. Department of Customer Service

Industry associations and advisory bodies

Australian Association of Progressive Repairers

Australian Motor Body Repairers Association (AMBRA)

Auto Parts Recyclers Association of Australia (APRAA)

Auto Recyclers Association of Australia (ARAA)

Commercial Vehicle Industry Association Australia (CVIAA)

Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries

Institute of Accident Assessors (IAA)

Institute of Automotive Mechanical Engineers (IAME)

Motor Traders’ Association of New South Wales (MTA NSW)

Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA)

Motor Trades Association of Australian Capital Territory (MTA ACT)

Motor Trades Association of Queensland (MTA Queensland)

Motor Trade Association of South Australia and Northern Territory (MTA SA/NT)

Motor Trade Association of Western Australia (MTA WA)

Tasmanian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (TACC)

Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC)

Employee associations

Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union

National Skills Commission 2022, Occupation Employment Projections viewed 10 August 2022, https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/topics/employment-projections

• by ANZSCO, selected occupations, employment projections to May 2026
  
  • 3241 Panelbeaters
  • 3242 Vehicle Body Builders and Trimmers
  • 3243 Vehicle Painters
  • 8994 Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories Fitters
  • 8111 Car Detailers.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2022, 6291.0.55.001 - EQ08 - Employed persons by Occupation unit group of main job (ANZSCO), Sex, State and Territory, August 1986 onwards, viewed 1 August 2022, https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia-detailed/may-2022

• Employed total by ANZSCO 4 digit occupations, 2002 to 2022, May Quarter
  
  • 3241 Panelbeaters
  • 3242 Vehicle Body Builders and Trimmers
  • 3243 Vehicle Painters
  • 8994 Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories Fitters
  • 8111 Car Detailers.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2017, 2016 Census – employment, income and unpaid work, TableBuilder. Findings based on use of ABS TableBuilder data.

• Employment level by 4 digit ANZSIC 9412 Automotive Body, Paint and Interior Repair industry class.

Training data has been extracted from the National VET Provider Collection, Total VET Students and Courses from the following training package or qualifications:

• AUR Automotive Retail, Service and Repair Training Package.
• Automotive and Marine Trimming Technology
  
  • AUR32312 - Certificate III in Automotive and Marine Trimming Technology
  • AUR32316 - Certificate III in Automotive and Marine Trimming Technology
  • AUR32320 - Certificate III in Automotive and Marine Trimming Technology.
• Automotive Body Repair Technology
  
  • AUR20905 - Certificate II in Automotive Vehicle Body
  • AUR20912 - Certificate II in Automotive Body Repair Technology
  • AUR20916 - Certificate II in Automotive Body Repair Technology
  • AUR20920 - Certificate II in Automotive Body Repair Technology
  • AUR30805 - Certificate III in Automotive Vehicle Body
  • AUR32112 - Certificate III in Automotive Body Repair Technology
  • AUR32116 - Certificate III in Automotive Body Repair Technology
  • AUR32120 - Certificate III in Automotive Body Repair Technology
  • AUR40712 - Certificate IV in Automotive Body Repair Technology
  • AUR40716 - Certificate IV in Automotive Body Repair Technology
  • AUR40718 - Certificate IV in Automotive Body Repair Technology
  • AUR40720 - Certificate IV in Automotive Body Repair Technology.
• Automotive Glazing Technology
  
  • AUR32212 - Certificate III in Automotive Glazing Technology
  • AUR32216 - Certificate III in Automotive Glazing Technology
  • AUR32220 - Certificate III in Automotive Glazing Technology.
• Automotive Refinishing Technology
  
  • AUR32412 - Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing Technology
  • AUR32416 - Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing Technology
  • AUR32420 - Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing Technology.
• Vehicle Loss Assessing
  
  • AUR40511 - Certificate IV in Vehicle Loss Assessing
  • AUR40512 - Certificate IV in Vehicle Loss Assessing
  • AUR40514 - Certificate IV in Vehicle Loss Assessing
  • AUR40520 - Certificate IV in Vehicle Loss Assessing.

This includes superseded qualifications and training packages.

Data covers a range of selected student and training characteristics in the following categories and years:

• 2017 to 2021 program enrolments
• 2017 to 2021 program completions
• 2021 subject enrolments.

Total VET students and courses data is reported for the calendar year. Program enrolments are the qualifications, courses and skill-sets in which students are enrolled in a given period. For students enrolled in multiple programs, all programs are counted. Program completion indicates that a student has completed a structured and integrated program of education or training. Location data uses student residence. Subject enrolment is registration of a student at a training delivery location for the purpose of undertaking a module, unit of competency or subject. For more information on the terms and definitions, please refer to the Total VET students and courses: terms and definitions document.

Low counts (less than 5) are not reported to protect client confidentiality.

Percentages are rounded to one decimal place. This can lead to situations where the total sum of proportions in a chart may not add up to exactly 100%.

AUR Automotive Retail, Service and Repair Training Package apprentice and trainee data has been extracted from the National Apprentice and Trainee Collection, including:

• 2012 to 2021 commencements
• 2012 to 2021 completions
• apprentices and trainees in-training October to December 2021 collection, by qualification and state and territory of data submitter.