Growing demand for qualified automotive electricians

Over the last few years there has been an increase in the number of people entering automotive electrician training. However, the Department of Labour believes there is an ongoing genuine skill shortage of qualified automotive electricians as only 45 automotive electricians qualified in 2006. This shortage may be due to the length of time it takes to become qualified and the complexity of the qualification.

The demand for automotive electricians is also influenced by the growing number of vehicle registrations in New Zealand. Between June 2001 and June 2005 motor vehicle registrations increased by 12% and car sales grew by 7%.

Increasing number of electronic components being installed

The demand for automotive electricians is also growing because manufacturers are installing more electronic components in new vehicles. Manufacturers are installing these components to gain a competitive advantage, increase vehicle efficiency, or create more environmentally friendly vehicles.

In the future, vehicles will have more electronic and electrical systems such as onboard computers and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). It will also become more commonplace for manufacturers to install high voltage electrical systems that enable vehicles to run a much wider range of components, and produce engines that run on a combination of electrical and combustion engine power.

As cars become more computer based and computer programs are frequently upgraded, automotive electricians will increasingly need to update their skills and adapt to changes. Currently, there are up to eight different computers used in a car and these are all upgraded at varying times.

New equipment will require greater skills in installation, maintenance and repair work and there is expected to be a greater reliance on electronic management systems within vehicles. Increasingly, general automotive and engineering shops contract out more complex electronic diagnostic and repair jobs to automotive electrical businesses.

Overseas some automotive electrical businesses employ only a small number of automotive electricians for computer diagnosis and use automotive engineers for more mechanical work.

Ageing workforce likely to affect the demand for automotive electricians in the future

The Department of Labour reported that approximately 10 automotive electricians retire each year, a relatively small number compared to other trades. However, the number of automotive electricians reaching retirement age is expected to increase with the number of automotive electricians over 40 years old steadily increasing each year.

High number of trained automotive electricians head overseas to work

The shortage of automotive electricians is also affected by the number of qualified workers who head overseas where their skills are in high demand. New Zealand trained workers are particularly valued overseas due to the wide variety of vehicles they can work on.

Ongoing education and training increasingly important

Due to the increasing complexity of vehicles, the majority of employers prefer their apprentices to have completed a polytechnic pre-trade course or have relevant work experience. The Motor Industry Training Organisation (MITO) has also recently developed 'StartUp', a bridging course where school leavers can get practical and theory based work experience while still at secondary school.

MITO has also introduced 'Atech', a post apprenticeship course that focuses on developing skills in new automotive technologies, and a small business management course for those starting up their own workshop.

Once in the job, ongoing training is essential. To keep up with the huge variety of imported vehicles, automotive electricians must attend specific courses and complete training to keep up to date with the new technology that comes with each vehicle.

Turnover

Turnover among automotive electricians varies. Some turnover occurs as people move between businesses to seek career opportunities. Others move into management or customer service roles, or start their own business. Automotive electrical skills are highly adaptable, allowing people to work in a wide variety of industries on a range of machines and vehicles.

(Written 28/04/2007)


Sources:

• Department of Labour. 'Job Vacancy Monitoring programme - Automotive Electrician: Occupational Skill Shortage Assesment'. June 2006. (www.dol.govt.nz).


• Statistics New Zealand. 'Total Motor Vehicle Registrations'. New Zealand Official Yearbook. June 2006. (www.stats.govt.nz).
  

• Automotive Electrician: Occupational Skills Shortage Assesment


• Job Vacancy Monitor