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Solve Your Tech Shortage & Upskill Your Workforce
Working in partnership with RHA Skills
Published: 30/10/2025
The UK automotive sector is transforming at pace. Electrification, digital diagnostics, and sustainability goals are reshaping fleets and workshops alike. The workforce is struggling to keep up.
As of early 2025, there were around 245,000 vehicle technicians in the UK. Only 58,800 are qualified to work on electric vehicles (EVs), roughly 24% of the workforce.
Projections show that without intervention, the UK could face a full shortage of qualified EV technicians by 2047. (Business Green) These figures highlight a growing mismatch between workforce capability and industry demand.
Every fleet-dependent business, from logistics operators to dealerships - is feeling the strain.
Vacancies are stretching teams, delaying maintenance, and increasing reliance on costly agency staff. This is no longer just a recruitment issue; it is an operational risk that directly affects service delivery, fleet uptime, and customer satisfaction.
Technician shortages also increase pressure on remaining staff, contributing to burnout and higher attrition rates.
Without skilled technicians, even routine maintenance schedules are under threat, and long-term fleet performance suffers.
Rise in HGV technician vacancies shows demand is far above pre-pandemic levels in the UK.
Of the UK technician workforce holds an EV qualification
The transition to electric and hybrid vehicles introduces new complexity. By 2035, all new cars sold in the UK will need to be zero-emission, yet many workshops lack qualified EV technicians.
Ask yourself:
The operational consequences are clear.
Fleets without EV-trained staff face downtime, slower service turnaround, and compliance risks. Workshops unprepared for high-voltage systems may struggle to maintain safety standards, limiting capacity to meet demand.
Recruitment alone cannot solve the shortage.
Every unfilled technician role adds cost: lost billable hours, delayed maintenance, and overworked staff. Many employers spend more on agency labour than on structured training for existing teams.
Building skills internally is the most effective long-term strategy. Upskilling and apprenticeships reduce reliance on external hires, strengthen retention, and ensure technicians are ready for new technologies.
Strategic workforce planning is no longer optional. Fleets must align hiring, training, and succession planning with operational priorities. Emerging vehicle technologies, regulatory changes, and fleet growth all increase the need for proactive skills development.
Before considering solutions, take a step back:
The most resilient businesses combine recruitment with ongoing training to create a pipeline of capable, adaptable technicians ready to maintain current and future fleets.
Structured apprenticeships and specialist training give businesses the capability to meet demand while reducing long-term recruitment costs.
Apprenticeships
Technical & Specialist Training
These programmes equip teams for the technologies shaping the next decade of mobility and help businesses maintain productivity while improving retention and staff satisfaction.
The technician shortage is real and already affecting the UK automotive and fleet sector. Businesses that act now by investing in apprenticeships and targeted training will strengthen operational resilience, protect productivity, and prepare their teams for future technologies.
The shortage is real.
The skills can be built.
The time to act is now.