The first-ever Automotive Work Experience Week (AWE), led by the School of Thought
Automotive, The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), and Autotech Academy, successfully ignited
a critical conversation within the automotive sector.
Held across one week in April, AWE aimed to address the pressing skills gap affecting the industry,
which currently stands at almost 18,000. The initiative captured significant attention, generating
over 8,000 visits to the School of Thought Automotive’s website during the week.
While AWE served as a vehicle to promote work experience and encourage company participation,
moving forward, it will become the Automotive Work Experience (AWE) Programme – a platform to
highlight the importance of careers within the automotive industry.
Providing young people with ‘experiences of the workplace’ also supports Gatsby Benchmark 6
which encapsulates the need for every student to have the opportunity for work experience by the
age of 16 and an additional opportunity by age 18.
Sign-up portal
Laying the groundwork for substantial change, while opening automotive businesses up to the
importance of work experience, in April a dedicated portal was launched via the School of Thought
Automotive’s website which enabled automotive businesses to sign up and pledge work experience
to at least one young person across the course of a year.
Significantly, these placements can be shaped to suit the needs of the business and take any form,
from a day to a week or even a few hours a week.
To date, almost 200 work experience placements are now registered for young people to participate
in 2025.
Targeting the current skills shortage head-on, the project not only aims to mitigate immediate needs
but also seeks to establish a sustainable talent pipeline for the future of the industry.
With the portal still open for businesses to pledge a work experience placement, The IMI, School of Thought Automotive, and Autotech Academy are calling on all automotive aftermarket businesses to
join this movement.
By pledging work experience, businesses have the unique opportunity to contribute to the industry’s
evolution while engaging with and inspiring the next generation of automotive professionals.
“Addressing the skills gap is not just about filling current vacancies. It’s about investing in the future.
Work experience is vital in showcasing the diverse career paths within the automotive industry,
helping young individuals realise their potential and passion early on,” comments Dave Reece,
founder of the School of Thought Automotive.
Work experience initiatives like AWE offer invaluable exposure to school-age children at a crucial
time when they are making decisions about their future careers. These programs illuminate the
rewarding opportunities available within the automotive sector, from technical and mechanical roles
to positions in management.
Participating businesses have lauded the simplicity and efficiency of the registration process,
emphasising the dual benefits of shaping the industry’s future while uncovering potential talents
that could ultimately drive their own success.
Organisations interested in participating in AWE are encouraged to sign up before the end of the
year. Doing so will ensure a robust pipeline of work experience placements ready to launch to
schools across the UK in January 2025.
“It’s important to remember that work experience placements need not conform to traditional
standards and can take any form—from a single day to a week or even every Friday afternoon,”
concludes Dave. “What matters most is engaging with young talent to fill the skills gap and bring
new energy into existing teams.”
