Contechs outs plans into gear to bridge EV skills gap

To help plug the ever-expanding skills gap Contechs is this month hosting a recruitment day, for which it invites engineers with experience in E/E architecture and EV platforms to come along and apply for the 175 roles currently available throughout the Midlands and in Basildon.

The new positions have been created to drive forward the company’s ambitious growth plans in expanding their operations in supporting OEM’s and First Tier Suppliers around the globe for the next generation of electric vehicles.

To address the needs of the ever-growing electric vehicle market, Contechs is spearheading a new academy to ensure that the future engineers in the UK are equipped with the necessary skills to meet the growing demand.  This ground-breaking training focuses on addressing the current skills shortages required for the next generation electrical, EV and hydrogen fuelled vehicles.

The on-the-job training academies are designed for graduates and upskilling of traditional design engineers wanting to gain employment into new emerging technology vehicles, they also provide an official on the job-based qualification that is affiliated to a university.  These academies are modular and each year transition over 100 engineers into the sector.  This vision is set to expand into Contechs European Offices, where it’s expected to upskill and retraining over 350 engineers p/a.

With the EV market expected to skyrocket over the next decade, with projections suggesting that the number of electric vehicles on UK roads will potentially reach 26.4 million by 2030, Contechs is looking to level up its offering to help support the UK’s EV market.

However, with demand currently exceeding supply, the UK faces a massive skills shortage that could put the brakes on the incoming electric wave. 

According to the Institute of Motor Industry, the number of technicians currently qualified to work safely on electric vehicles in the UK stands at around 32,000, with further forecasts from the IMI suggesting that figure will need to rise 90,000 by 2030 to keep pace with demand.

Through taking small steps in helping to mitigate the nationwide skills shortage, Managing Director Peter Jarvis is confident that the company can cater to the increased demand within the UK as well as drive forward its ambitious growth plans and support the growth of the EV industry over the coming years.

Peter said: “With the EV market currently experiencing a nationwide skills gap that is only set to broaden, it’s vital that we ensure that we provide a platform to develop the skills of the next generation of engineers and technicians to support the rapid growth in electric vehicles both nationally and globally

Contechs has plans to scale its offering with regards to developing the next generation of electrical automotive technologies and to cater to the current skills gap we are looking at several different ways to mitigate this, not only to ensure that we can provide a sustainable solution to driving forward the UK’s EV market in the years to come, but also to accelerate our own growth plans

Having already received positive feedback regarding our exciting new training initiative from two UK universities and with our recruitment day set to take place on 22^nd November we are confident about achieving our projected growth plans over the next decade.”