THE AMBASSADOR

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Issue Two: April 2022

The MBASSADOR

Bringing the Automotive Industry in to schools and colleges

Featuring profiles of amazing

Women in the Industry

Supported by

Issue One February 2022

Automotive and Education a joint venture Well the ‘Master Plan’ is starting to take shape as we move into the second quarter of 2022. School of Thought have been actively supporting schools with their career events and even more of our ambassadors are starting to engage with schools and colleges.

Rachel Murray in Northern Ireland did her first careers event and Cat Treanor from Electude just keeps on supporting schools. Steve Plunkett from Volvo continues to support his local school as a mentor and Mike Yorke from Outsorc was at a jobs fair at RAF Cosford.

During Careers Week we paid a visit to Coleg Gwent Crosskeys and Newport Campuses and met with their level 1, 2 and 3 students all looking to make their way in the industry and followed that with a visit to Bridgewater College to meet many of their students. These are our future technicians.

If your looking to place your students contact School of Thought We have a very exciting opportunity for Colleges of FE. Working with a leading Global software solutions company we can offer for FREE the very latest vehicle damage assessment software. Not only will students in the body and paint areas be able to see how a damage assessment is created but the system shows graphically where components are on a vehicle. Great for creating modern lesson plans for your students

This Months Issue Design the Car of the Future Women on the Move National Careers Week Junior Ambassador Talent Recharge Meet Steve Smith – MIRKA Internships – a new way Women Conquering the Car Business The British Motorshow 2022

Introducing The Evolution of UGH

Want to know how your school or college can access free software – just contact School of Thought The very first Automotive Summit in the UK specifically targeted at addressing the Generation and Skills Gaps in the industry and connecting the Automotive Industry and Education. Many leading companies including Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen Group attended this exciting and very important event organised by the team at Autotech Recruitment and Academy and School of Thought were in the thick of it as many of our ambassadors attended and contributed. A passionate call to action was made by Autotech CEO Gavin White to the Automotive industry and the Education sector. At School of Thought we are already seeing activity as everyone understands the importance of the crisis.

Well done Gavin and the team.

The automotive industry is constantly evolving so follow Ugh’s light hearted adventures as he tackles new challenges but never gives up, with a little help of course

The Ambassador Planning your Careers Events – just contact School of Thought www.schoolofthought.info

Julie@ready4work.uk

dave@ready4work.uk

Calling Schools and Colleges

COMPETITION TIME Contact your local school and get them to enter.

www.schoolofthought.info

It’s Competition Time – win an automotive based prize

2030 is coming fast and from 1st January 2030 all vehicle sold in the UK must be powered by electricity. We have seen some strange designs over the years with comments like the cars are ugly I wouldn’t by one, so School of Thought are giving Primary, Secondary and Special Needs students the chance to design the car for the future that you would actually think of buying.

Secondary Schools to design the vehicle of the future + Market + Promote + short video STEP 1 – Plan and design the look of your vehicle STEP 2 – Name your vehicle STEP 3 – Create a logo for your vehicle STEP 4 – What makes your ‘Future Vehicle’ different STEP 5 – Put all of these ideas together to design a fun poster and short video advertising your vehicle of the future

Primary and Special Needs schools to design a poster for the car of the future Finally send in a copy of your poster, presentation or pitch to Julie@ready4work.uk or post it in, for it to be marked by the panel of industry judges. You and your team may win the top prize of an exciting automotive day out with the School of Thought and the competition sponsors.

Closing date for entries 31st May 2022

Tori-Leigh Adams – School of Thought Ambassador – 19 year old Female striving to make a difference in the Automotive Industry Since becoming a School of Thought Ambassador I’ve completed the #femaleboss program. Which was fantastic, I was provided with so much information I never thought I needed or didn’t know so a massive thank you to Steven Morrison who pushed me to do that, and to those running it! Lisa Wardlaw FRSA, Morven McColl, Ailsa Paton, Megan Douglas (apologies if I missed anyone.)

We’ve been to the racing with our new car, which didn’t quite run as good as we wanted it to but we learn and fix so hopefully next time it will run great I had a look at my new bumpers for my road car, they are all prepped and ready to paint. But.. I wanted to make sure they were fitting correctly Before I go ahead and paint them so there’s some images of what I should look like.

I went a few road trips just to take some time for me, chill out and make sure I’m not burning myself out in all these exciting things.

And finally, I caught up on some college work and studying using Electude. Which again is fantastic and has totally supported me this year with my VRQ3 in Light Vehicle Maintenance at West Lothian College.

Back to it all again and, hopefully get my chassis exam done and dusted and get the bumpers for my car painted.

I also have my pitch to the #femaleboss for funding towards my business idea. Will let you all know how it goes!

Chloe Jessica Harris

WOMEN ON THE MOVE

WOMEN ON THE MOVE

Welcome to Ruth Moring Beale Non Executive Director

Ruth’s parents founded Morelli Group in 1957, 5 years before she was born, so she has really spent all her life in the industry. After gaining a BSc in Psychology from Brunel university, she joined the family business in 1984 and has now notched up nearly 38 years in this amazing and varied industry as it’s National Sales Director.

Ruth is passionate about the refinish industry and strives to ensure that Morelli Group is always at the forefront of innovation whilst preserving its core values of excellent service and support for its customers. Ruth moved to the Midlands in 2008 and enjoys relaxing at home, cooking for family & friends and traveling – COVID permitting!

“I am delighted to be associated with School of Thought which exactly aligns with Morelli’s core values of bringing youth into the industry and nurturing talent. We have many long-term members of the Morelli extended family who have been with us from their teenage years and I hope that we can help Dave & Julie bring these kinds of people into our customers to help with bridging the skills gap within our great industry.!

My name is Jade Price I’m 29 and I’m an apprentice Mechanic. I love doing this job because I think the satisfaction you get from fixing something is amazing it’s not an easy job like people make out especially with how much more technical it is now rather than mechanical it’s not always easy to pin point a job. I also feel like it’s an eye opener for females as well who want to do it but don’t see any women out there, we are here!

Jade Price – Apprentice Vehicle Technician

Jade is on Instagram as @jade_ec9 & @theautomotivecapture (just car content) and YouTube as TheAutomotiveCapture

Chloe Hyland Marketing Manager Messe Frankfurt UK

I’m Marketing Manager of Automechanika Birmingham, the UK’s leading trade exhibition for the automotive aftermarket and supply chain sector. I also look after the marketing for the UK Garage & Bodyshop Event plus our digital product auto:resource.

My background is in large scale events and my day to day role involves bringing the automotive industry together at events for networking, product launches and automotive training. I am proof that you can work in the automotive industry and not be a vehicle technician or garage owner! I have learnt so much about automotive products, modern day cars and the mega trends impacting the businesses in the automotive industry since I started this role.

I am the Group HR Manager at Sandicliffe. I have been with the Company for 20 years and started as a part-time administrator.

I love my role, we are currently working on the employee survey to see how we can improve as a business. We are also working on diversity to ensure we are attracting and retaining employees from all backgrounds, life experiences, gender and abilities.

The last two years have seen a huge shift in my role and we now have employees working from home and are looking at ways to improve work life balance and well being for our employees.

My role is varied, challenging and enjoyable. I would recommend the Motor Industry to anyone, as it is a great place to work, with so many opportunities.

Abi Curson Group HR Manager – Sandicliffe Group

National Careers Week (NCW) is a celebration of careers guidance and free resources in education across the UK. School of Thought went on the road during National career week meeting students at Cole Gwent Crosskeys and Newport Campus’s It was great to support Claire and the college team and promote careers in the automotive industry. Over 100 students on the day and then it was off to Bridgewater College to discuss all things Automotive with Level 1, 2 and 3 students.

Speed Networking with local students during National Careers Week at MIRA Technology Institute

I manage a sales and technical team covering the UK and Ireland I have been in the automotive refinish sector since leaving school (37 years ago and counting) It’s a great industry to be part of which isn’t short of a character or two, I am well connected within the industry and have made many friends along the way.

Being a manager can be challenging but also enjoyable and rewarding.

I am proud to work for Mirka and it’s a great company to work for.

I get a lot of satisfaction watching my team personally grow and develop and by passing on my knowledge and experience to them.

Would I do it all over again… 100% yes

Steve Smith National Sales Manager Mirka (UK)

School Of Thought are proud to announce the appointment of its newest Junior Ambassador – Adam Ward.

Adam is aged 14 (year 10), currently studying his GCSEs at Silverstone UTC (University Technical College) located within the famous F1 race circuit in Northamptonshire.

Adam has a passion for cars and is the son of RWC Training Centre MD – Rob Ward, also an Ambassador for School Of Thought.

Adam is delighted to be asked to join the initiative as a Junior Ambassador. Adam said “Combined with my school work at Silverstone, and the encouragement and knowledge I can gain through School Of Thought, I can see there are lots of opportunities in automotive for people like me, so thank you for supporting me”.

Adam Ward

As well as GCSE Maths, English and Science, Adam is also studying Motor Sport Engineering and B-Tech Sport at the career-focused Silverstone school.

Adam has recently secured a work experience placement with Pennings Accident Repair Centre, plus he has been fortunate to secure some on-the-ground work experience days with a Praga Cup racing team this year, when Adam will work alongside the race mechanics in the pit lane and also be part of the motorsport marketing team with their race day photo shoots, videos and social media activity.

As we welcome and encourage our newest School of Thought Junior Ambassador, you can now track Adam’s progress, career centred activities and milestone achievements with interest via our SOT social media posts and live events.

Founders of School of Thought, Dave Reece and Julie Eley added “ We are delighted to have Adam join Chloe Harris on our Junior Ambassador Programme, following their journey is going to be inspirational for other young students who are starting to look for their career opportunities, and will keep automotive on the agenda”. “We will be checking in with Adam and Chloe and keeping everyone up to date with their progress”.

“Adam is at the very beginning of what is set to be an exciting and fulfilled career in our industry, and thanks to School of Thought, we can collectively encourage more young people to get inspired by a rewarding and exciting future in automotive”

Contact us today for information on how School of Thought can support your careers events and make sure your students are made aware of the career opportunities in the Automotive Industry dave@ready4work.uk

julie@ready4work.uk

www.schoolofthought.info School of Thought, our directors and ambassadors supported this first event of its kind showing the industry that we are the leading National organisation promoting career opportunities to young people.

This event brought together automotive sector employers, industry experts, training, schools and automotive colleges together with the aim of maximising employment opportunities for students who have completed their studies but also to connect the automotive industry with education and form working relationships for the future.

The Talent Recharge 2022: • Enhanced the understanding of the challenges facing the automotive sector.

• Ensured we can influence students and young people to have the skill sets and knowledge to contribute to the industry’s future • Demonstrated current and expected automotive technology and software trends that will support future investment decisions to improve your learning environment • Highlighted the rapid pace of change in the industry • Highlighted the options available to increase the number of newly qualified automotive college leavers transferring into permanent automotive employment.

Any Schools or Colleges who are organising careers events or would like someone from the industry to talk to their students just contact us through www.schoolofthought.info or email dave@ready4work.uk or Julie@ready4work.uk and we will bring automotive to you.

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Supporting the Education of Future Repairers GT Motive, the creators of the estimating platform GT Global, have partnered with School of Thought to help support, train, and attract young people into the automotive industry.

GT Motive are giving Chesterfield College students the opportunity to use their estimating platform for free to help support their learning.

. GT Global will show students the breakdown of the vehicle, how to fit parts and all other elements included with providing estimates and repairing a claimant vehicle. The platform will also be used in lesson planning to make the courses more modern.

Martyn Rowley, Business Development Manager at GT Motive said “We’re proud to be able to support the future talents of the automotive and repair industry.

By providing them access to our estimating platform it gives them a view to the modern solutions that are available to repairs.”

Our partnership with GT Motive strengthens our opportunity to provide young people the prospects to learn, earn and be successful. We work with industry leaders who become our ambassadors to help us bring positive change within the industry, there’s currently no better, more inspiring company to work with than GT Motive who are already making strives to bring change and competition to the industry.”

He continues “We have been inspired by the work School of Thought have done to support the future of the automotive industry, and we just wanted to strengthen their offering. Hopefully our small contribution will encourage more young people to begin their career within our industry and will give those training the opportunity to see the tools that would be available to them in the real world”.

The biggest challenge currently facing the automotive industry is staff shortages within the repair network.

The non for profit, School of Thought was created to tackle this issue by attracting young people into the automotive industry and to nurture the future talents of the next generation of the industry. Chesterfield College will be the first to use of the platform within a training environment.

GT Global was the winner of the 2021 ABP award for The Repairer’s Choice for Best Estimating System.

Their platform is cloud based, and allows users access anywhere, anytime and on any web enabled device.

The access given to students will allow them to work with the estimating system as if working on a ‘real life’ motor claim repair and receive accurate estimations and total loss valuations.

GTMOTIVE FREE OFFER!!

Are offering their global software FREE to schools and colleges. To take advantage of this amazing offer contact dave@ready4work.uk today

Automotive Careers

There are over 200 different career opportunities in the one of the world most advanced industries the automotive industry. The industry has a huge variety of job roles and it’s not all spanners and sprayguns.

The industry is one of the most technical in the world and changing and developing at pace. This means there are more opportunities for technical and other job roles. This is just a small selection Technicians Advisors Marketing IT Web Developers Social media Marketing HR Accounting Management Customer Service Call Centre Operatives Advertising Sales Engineering Journalists Chemists Warehousing Colourist Is you’re school or college organising a careers event and looking for industry specialists to tell your students about career opportunities in the automotive industry then contact School of Thought.

School of Thought have over 120 Ambassadors nationwide ready to attend careers events so wherever you are we can help you.

Contact Dave or Julie for more information dave@ready4work.uk or Julie@ready4work.uk www.schoolofthought.info

BBA 2022 Preview

Calling all School of Thought Ambassadors.

We need Volunteers We will have a stand at this event and are looking for volunteers to man the stand and spread the word among the industry about supporting companies to find new talent.

WORKING WITH COLLEGES AND EMPLOYERS, HELPING STUDENTS TO TRANSITION FROM COURSE TO PLACEMENT Autotech Academy is a unique initiative which offers Level 2-3 college students a route into the automotive industry and supports a college's automotive course offering. Created by an award-winning company with strong motor sector experience and links, Autotech Academy is set to fill the automotive skills funnel, while providing college leavers, through a paid internship, with a solid foothold on the career ladder. Within three to twelve months (depending on a job role), the paid interns will be equipped with all the necessary experience to complement their college learning and any additional tooling and training which will help them make the transition into full-time, well-paid permanent employment.

WORKING WITH COLLEGES ACROSS THE UK The number of qualified students currently achieving a placement within the automotive industry is far too low. For a long time, the sector has lost out on attracting and keeping new talent due to the lack of jobs available to the newly qualified students, who have all the theoretical knowledge but limited practical experience.

The industry needs a sustainable pipeline of talent, stemming the exodus into other sectors who better align themselves to the requirements of the younger generation. Autotech Academy works with colleges to help students transition from course to placement. As a company we work very closely with leading organisations and trade associations, car manufacturers, dealership groups and independent garages.

WORKING TOGETHER, AUTOTECH ACADEMY CAN HELP COLLEGES, WITH NO FINANCIAL OUTLAY: • • • • • •

Improve student retention Improve destination data Increase student engagement Student learning enrichment Increase funding due to higher course enrolment Improve course desirability

We would welcome the opportunity to explain the services we offer in more detail to your senior management team.

Please contact hello@autotechacademy.co.uk or call 01234 240503.

For more information contact us: www.schoolofthought.info or www.autotechacademy.co.uk

Autotech Academy Internship Autotech Academy helps newly qualified vehicle technicians into their first job and offers: • A paid internship lasting between 3 & 12 months in a garage or maintenance repair employer • Pay you a monthly wage between £9 & £11 per hour • Equip you with brand new Teng Tools toolkit worth over £1000, which you get to keep when you successfully complete the internship • Offer you additional training • Provide you with ongoing support and a mentor at your work placement to help you with your daily tasks • Interest? Speak to the team today For more information contact us: www.autotechacademy.co.uk 01234 240503

Autotech Internship Sophies Story: Sophie Hemming is the first female vehicle technician to kick-start her career through an Autotech Academy internship and she candidly admits that securing a vehicle technician role was frequently challenging in male-dominated garages. So much so that, despite a life-long love of motor cars, the 26-year-old put off taking her Level 3 in Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair for several years.

After completing ‘A’ Levels at Pembrokeshire College, in 2015, Sophie qualified with a Level 1 in Light Vehicle and Maintenance Repair and a Level 2 qualification in Motor Sports: “I have a passion for race cars and from a young age would help my dad fix up a long line of old vehicles. I knew early on that it was the career path for me.”

Moving to Southampton, Sophie was disillusioned with repeated rejections when trying to secure a vehicle technician role; “I was either under-qualified with a Level 2 or was frankly told that as a woman I wouldn’t fit in,” so she found a role as a seamstress.

Being furloughed during the pandemic, Sophie quickly realised that her ambition to work within the automotive industry had not been quashed.

Signing up for a Level 3 at Eastleigh College, Sophie was also employed by the college as a Learning Support Assistant, teaching Level 1 and 2 automotive students. Teaching could have potentially been the default career for Sophie, had her course leader not mentioned the Autotech Academy internship programme.

Created to help thousands of students get a foothold on the automotive career ladder, and support employers when recruiting new talent, Autotech Academy provides qualified college leavers with a gateway into the industry through a paid internship.

Starting at Richmond ŠKODA, Botley, in early September, Sophie readily admits that she has, ‘landed on my feet.’ Working with the team, Sophie has put her theory to good practice, spending two days in her first two weeks shadowing each vehicle technician.

At the start of the third week, she spent the morning working with the Master Technician who, after assessing her ability, gave Sophie her own ramp in the afternoon.

“Since then, I have been working independently. The team here are great. I am continually given new tasks and am encouraged to ask questions if unsure. As a dealer garage, the work is timed, so it’s a fast way to learn to work efficiently and with confidence.”

Sophie’s Service Manager, Matt Savage, commented: “At Richmond we only want people with a can-do approach, and Sophie has demonstrated that with her commitment to succeed in a challenging industry. She has settled in well working within a great team and we know that our investment with Sophie through Autotech Academy will support our business moving forward. It is important that we encourage and support Sophie to continue her development and prove that success is about attitude and not anything else.”

For more information contact us: www.schoolofthought.info or www.autotechacademy.co.uk

“Autotech Academy have been amazing. They took all the hard work out of the jobseeking process, from finding a placement, providing me with tools and a uniform, and making the introductions. I just had to prove myself.”

www.stellantisapprenticeships.com

Your future is our future There’s nothing quite like the feeling of independence that your first car gives you. To go where you want, when you want without relying on lifts, taxis or public transport. It’s the same feeling you have when you receive your first pay check. It gives you a strong sense of independence and achievement.

At The Performance Academy we are committed to giving you the best start in your career and an apprenticeship in our UK dealer network, whatever your chosen specialism, will provide you with the essential skills, knowledge and real life work exposure to kick start your career.

Apprenticeship Roles We are looking for ambitious candidates ready to take ownership of their development, work hard to achieve their potential and grow with an ambitious employer.

There are lots of opportunities to develop your career; from short to long term. Your early development is carefully mapped through your Apprenticeship journey with your learning focussed toward achieving an industry recognised qualification.

www.stellantisapprenticeships.com

The Automotive Careers Expo

In association with

18-21 August 2022 at Farnborough International.

The British Motor Show is proud to announce that the Automotive Careers Expo will return to the show in 2022.

The expo will be hosted in The IMI Technology Zone and will be taking place across the 4 days of the show, delivering seminars and sessions from manufacturers and industry suppliers showcasing the fantastic opportunities that the industry has to offer.

The event will specifically focus on showcasing the vast variety of opportunities the British automotive industry has to offer and aims to attract new talent into the industry from schools, colleges and universities, as well as promoting the industry as a forward-thinking and positive place to work for those looking to re-skill.

Amongst the content hosted in The IMI Tech Theatre, a specific thread is also aimed at attracting more women into the industry, supported by some of the key female figureheads from across the automotive sector. (check out the Women on the Move and Women Conquering the Car Business articles on pages 4 and 16).

School of Thought, manufacturers, schools, colleges, retailers and suppliers will all be on hand, with interactive stands and staff available to chat to visitors about the wide variety of opportunities available, from apprenticeships right through to re-skilling in areas such as design, tech and marketing.

We’ll be publishing more details about the day’s programme in the near future, in the meantime you can get your tickets to the show HERE or please contact us if you would like to exhibit in the Automotive Careers Expo. www.thebritishmotorshow.live

The British Motorshow attracts visitors from all over the UK. If you want to put your school or college on the map contact the organiser or email Dave Reece at dave@ready4work.uk

Get Your Tickets Here

The women conquering the car business

by Mike Rutherford How is Britain’s automotive industry doing in the battle for gender equality? How come it attracts so many boys and men, but not nearly as many girls and women? Why oh why isn’t there more diversity, less imbalance?

If anyone can answer those questions, the high achieving women featured in this article can. They all rose to the top in the fast-paced car business and its associated industries. That’s why their real-world advice is so valuable, insightful…and inspirational.

Each one embarked on and enjoys a long and successful career in the automotive sector. Now they’re keen to see other women from all backgrounds follow in their footsteps. At least one of these industry leaders believes there has never been a better time than now for females to join and establish rewarding careers for themselves in the rapidly-changing car business.

So what’s stopping you?

Rebecca Adamson is Head of Automobile at Honda (UK) and isn’t afraid to admit that females continue to face challenges in today’s automotive industry.

“But I’m not sure there are any that are unique to women,” she says. “There are certainly more women in the industry now, and there’s possibly less surprise when we make it to more senior positions. Maybe that is our challenge – to encourage more people to look past the outdated automotive stereotype.

“Discrimination definitely exists, but no more than in any other area of society. Where I have encountered discrimination, it’s been short-lived and generally presents itself in the form of low expectations – which simply makes it easier to exceed them.

For me, the priority is around attracting more people to the industry from every walk of life, as well as increasing the diversity across the board.”

And Rebecca’s no-nonsense advice to women thinking of a career in the car business?

“Go for it – 26 years in and I’ve had some incredible experiences and opportunities.”

The British Motorshow 2022 supporting Women in the Industry Get Your Tickets Here

TAKE YOUR CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE YOU CAN TRUST The award-winning Independent Garage Association is the largest and most prominent representative body in the Independent garage sector.

The IGA helps independent garages to thrive in all aspects of their business by offering advice, information and services which ensure that the independent service and repair sector can remain efficient and competitive in an increasingly complex business landscape.

We understand the challenges independent garages face and our mission is to help keep you ahead of the game and continue working effectively in an ever changing marketplace. We have worked tremendously hard in recent years to provide a truly outstanding package and, as a team, strive constantly to improve the membership proposition by working with you to provide new and improved ways to help.

Jaguar celebrates International Womens Day Jaguar Brand Director, Anna Gallagher is happy that there are far more senior women in the automotive industry than a decade ago…but.

“We are still under-represented. I continue to experience archetypal thinking, that to be successful you have to be pushy and aggressive, to over-exaggerate that you aren’t a ‘pushover’. This simply isn’t true. Female and male colleagues have proven that you can make great advances. We need to concentrate on erasing this stereotype.

“There needs to be a recognition that diversity is what drives better customer experiences, better products, and therefore business success…making sure that early careers are attracting diversity, that we nurture it, and truly value it.

The different skills that diversity brings will allow the automotive industry to adapt to changing customers and their expectations.

Anna has two short, simple words for women, young and old, thinking of joining the automotive industry “Do it,” she says.

Mandy Dean, Director of Commercial Vehicles at Ford of Britain and Ireland feels there has never been a more exciting time for women to be part of the industry.

“Although great strides are being made to attract and retain greater diversity of employees, there are still gaps to be addressed from apprentice to executive level.

Visibility of a diverse workforce in every aspect of the industry is key to encourage young people of all backgrounds to visualise their future in the sector, and to show that jobs at the very highest level are open to all.

“Opportunities for promotion and professional self-improvement are regularly cited as being one of the highest priorities in the workplace, and positive examples of this need to be shared and celebrated industry-wide if we want to attract diverse talent to work with us.”

Paula Cooper is Director of Consumer One (Toyota’s insight, innovation and customer experience division) and is keen on an open-minded approach to identifying and nurturing talent.

“There has been progress made in attitudes and mindsets,” she reckons. “The challenges today are exhilarating: we work in a fast-paced, technologically advanced and creative industry and we need to welcome a broader range of talent into our businesses.

“We have to show how vast and diverse our industry is and the huge number of opportunities there are to develop a successful career. It’s not just about cars! We need to reflect the needs of the working population and ensure we can attract the best of people from the broadest of profiles. Having different skills, perspectives and approaches is good for business. It’s not just the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do.

Her message to females thinking of joining the car business?

“You’ll love it,” is Paula’s promise.

Vizion Network conceived the Green Earth Initiative in 2021 to help it’s repairers with carbon compliance, green energy, energy procurement and devising ways to reduce carbon and it has now received buy-in from the first of it’s insurance partners. Aviva and Hastings Direct are the first to adopt the initiative within their own businesses as well as the digital technologies and new thinking that drives it.

Green Earths aim is to change the way that customers are handled, the options they are given and the impact these choices have on the planet.

“Ultimately we need to deliver the best we can for the environment above all” explained Chris McKie, Vizion Network’s Managing Director.“ it’s also an opportunity to change our thinking around some of the common and repeated but not necessarily needed or really valued requirements for our day-to-day business” “Amongst the first areas to be looked at is courtesy cars which we have become so used to supplying but without giving customers an alternative choice” he added. “By opening up this thinking and by involving our insurer, manufacturer and repairer colleagues with the customer, it has given us a huge platform to do things differently.

Under the scheme’s courtesy car exchange, customers can opt to plant trees instead of having the use of a vehicle during the repair. Already the initiative is replacing more than 100 courtesy cars each week and Chris believes this could increase to 300 per week before the start of the summer.

We’ve had some great feedback form repairers and customers already and this will only increase as more of our partners connect with the process said Chris.

“More than 10 percent of customers are seeing more value in planting a tree and walking, cycling or lift sharing than taking a courtesy car and they are happy about it.

Yes it would be stupid to say there will never be a problem or a change of heart from time to time but, at the moment, this is nothing but good news” An expert industry team is being assembled to help, monitor and develop the initiative as it expands into other areas with Aviva and Hastings Direct providing the first Green Earth Ambassadors.

Commenting on his involvement Simon Smith, Managing Director and Aviva Repair Lead Solus ARC said: “It is our collective responsibility to meet our customers needs of today and their children’s needs for tomorrow and to protect the future for generations to come. Aviva, Solus and I take this responsibility seriously.

“The Green Earth Initiative is a great way to collaborate, to reduce carbon in the repair process and to help connect with our customers. It is great to be involved with Green Earth, and a welcome addition to our net zero journey.

David Carter, Commercial Director & Strategy Director, Hastings Direct added: “We all have an important part to play in reducing carbon in the repair process, and it’s great to see customers voting with their feet and wanting to support that. This is the start of a new, exciting way of looking at how we support repairers to reduce their environmental impact which benefits us all.

“Ultimately we need to deliver the best we can for the environment above all” explained Chris McKie, Vizion Network’s Managing Director.“ it’s also an opportunity to change our thinking around some of the common and repeated but not necessarily needed or really valued requirements for our day-to-day business”

The women conquering the car business There’s a similar (“absolutely go for it”) message from Nicola Bates, CEO at Autovia, the company that publishes Auto Express and other leading car-related titles.

“The industry is changing fast and offers an increasingly diverse range of roles and specialisms, so there really is an opportunity for everyone,” Nicola insists.

“The automotive sector by its very nature doesn’t help in attracting women. It’s not appealing to work in a male-dominated environment, so it’s not a surprise that only 20 per cent of the workforce are women. If we are under-represented in most roles, including in leadership positions, there is naturally less opportunity for development and growth to more senior positions.

“The sort of changes she believes the industry needs to make?

“Improvements will come through being more diverse and less male-dominated. We need to be working with schools, colleges and universities to make automotive an attractive industry for women. Having greater representation of females on the board, and ensuring that there are equal development opportunities to retain the female talent that we want to attract.”

Over at the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), its CEO Sue Robinson admits that a number of negative perceptions remain, despite huge improvements in recent years.

“Businesses have been looking at increasing workplace flexibility, ensuring equal opportunities for all their workforce, and providing support and an open communication channel to raise any concerns that may be affecting a colleague. If you are making an impact, you should progress – regardless of gender.

“Franchised dealers have made huge progress to ensure that opportunities are available equally across the board, says Sue.”

And what does she believe women can expect after they’ve made the decision to work in and around the vibrant automotive business?

“As with everything there will be challenges, but if you work with passion and determination, the opportunities will offset any obstacles you may face,” she concludes.

Journalist and television presenter Sue Baker blazed a trail for women in motoring. For decades she wrote for major national and local newspapers and magazines and was the original frontwoman for the BBC’s long-running, world-famous car programme…long before one of her female successors – Vicki Butler-Henderson – arrived on the scene.

Housekeeping,” says Sue. “In a 50-year career as a motoring journalist, I worked for 23 years in Fleet Street and 11 years at the BBC as a Top Gear presenter, as well as writing columns for publications ranging from Auto Express to Good Housekeeping “Being something of a trail-blazer in automotive journalism meant coping with a few issues, such as older male colleagues who were sometimes put out by a young female invading ‘their’ territory. But as a good friend once told me, you can only be patronised with your permission, so never give it. Don’t be thin-skinned, either: a quiet self-belief shows what you’re made of.

“Back when I started there was a stark absence of senior women in the industry, or indeed at any level, but being a lone female in the media pack gave me an advantage. I stood out amongst all the suits, a handy aid in securing interviews with top-level people “Happily there are now more women motoring journalists, but we’re still grossly under-represented when half the driver population is female.”

To read more about the thoughts of – and valuable advice from – Rebecca Adamson, Anna Gallagher, Mandy Dean, Paula Cooper, Nicola Bates, Sue Robinson and Sue Baker, visit: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/357498/insight-women-automotive-industry-2022

School of Thought are now registered as a disability confident employer

More news to come from our in house specialist to see how the industry can engage and become a disability employer

School of Thought Ambassadors 18th-21st August Farnborough International Exhibition Centre

If you haven’t had time to visit a local school or college here’s a great opportunity to meet students, parents and educators and have a great day out at The British Motorshow as a volunteer for a day.

CARS – STUNT DRIVING – TV STARS – TECH ZONE – EDUCATION EXPO – SUPERCARS

Contact: Julie E: Julie@ready4work.uk T: 07599 285079

Taking risks can be costly – talk to Auto-Shield today HSE inspectors are still carrying out spot COVID checks following the changes in legislation.

They remain focused on sanitisation, hand hygiene and ventilation. To find out more visit HSE Coronavirus: latest information and advice - HSE news Whilst they are at your premises, they will have a look around to see if there are any health & safety concerns and obvious breaches of legislation. They will give guidance, but should they find anything a material breach of legislation they will issue either an improvement or prohibition notice and you will be charged for the visit at £160 per hour.

Under HSE we are included within Manufacturing and their key focus is as follows: • • •

Reducing the cases of occupational lung disease, MSDs, and work-related stress Reducing serious and fatal incidents, particularly those caused by heavy loads, maintenance, and catastrophic events Increased cooperation between all parts of the sector, and sub-sectors, to identify and solve health and safety problem

The other area is hand arm vibration. Recently an ex-Client was served with an Improvement notice for failing to manage exposure to weld fume and hand arm vibration (HAVS). They were doing some of the things needed but they weren’t documented, but importantly weren’t carrying out Health Surveillance. The Client is now a current one.

Health Surveillance in our industry is essential and although sometimes it can be seen as a reactive tool it can help identify failures within your risk assessments/safe systems of work, and help detect early stages of ill health to allow you to change working practices, reduce exposure for an Employee etc.

We all know that COVID hasn’t gone away, and it will manifest itself in different ways for different people. The government guidance is now vague, so you must rely on what you feel is the right thing to do!

There is so much uncertainty right now with the legacy of COVID, the war in Ukraine, cost of living increases and uncertainty around the economy. Is it any wonder that you may feel anxious, distressed or even angry?

It is perfectly normal to feel emotions such as these (and more) across all these situations. The main thing to do is keep talking, particularly if you have children who may be scared. Childline | Childline is a great place to visit and not just for children.

Avoid situations where things get “catastrophised” such as watching the news, forums, and groups.

If you are affected and your mental health is suffering contact [M]enable – Supporting wellbeing in automotive (menable.org) Home - Ben Ben offers a wide range of help and support for all situations.

HELPLINE T: 07599 285079

Tracey Wickson, Director – Flying Colours

My Passion in the automotive industry began from a very early age, where I discovered that I had a remarkable talent for recalling and identifying different vehicle brand logos and their year of registration. I would challenge people to test me on my knowledge in the confidence that I owned the ability to recall, the make, model and year of manufacture.

I was not fortunate to be born into wealth or a stable beginning. I was brought up on a rough council estate and surrounded by a lot of violence and drug abuse. Although tough beginnings, that estate taught me life lessons and am fortunate to still be connected with many that I grew up with.

In 1992, I passed my driving test and purchased by a Yugo from the salvage yard! Soon after this I purchased my 2nd, a Peugeot 106. I became fascinated by the ability to repair crash damaged vehicles and the skill of craftsmanship that went into repairing and restoring them.

Throughout the late nineties and noughties, I spent most of my time buying and selling cars. I met My husband Russell on the noughties. He was already established as a SMART repairer for Flying Colours and was very instrumental in the birth and development of the company. In 2002 we established our own body shop called Paint master UK. We started from a small unit on Stafford Park Telford and soon evolved and took on a further 2 bays. We were perfectly positioned and relished in the custom of dealerships, retail and fleet customers. We cemented relationships with suppliers and customers alike. Our business was our life. We had made it, we had achieved a successful business, that was both respected and growing

You don’t just choose this career, it chooses you.

We worked, lived and breathed it. Our Technicians, were not just employees but were part of our family.

The industry was forever changing and evolving and we embraced these changes and changed with it. We had the greatest pleasure in working with Auto Claims (Darren Swann) Where we were one of the main repairers for Carillion PLc in the West Midlands area.

In early 2020 my husband sold his shares to an investment company and retuned to Flying Colours. I remained in the company until June 2021.

Today we still run our very successful SMART repair business and cover the whole of the West Midlands Area. We provide services for BCA, insurance, retail and dealerships. Our services include mobile SMART repairs, including interiors.

The future: Who knows!!!!

What I do know is that the automotive industry is like a incurable disease, once it enters your body, it cannot escape, it lives within you, it remains in your periphery vison.

“Our Technicians, were not just employees but were part of our family”

At School of Thought (Automotive) we think it's important to get people together to discuss solutions for the generation and skills gap.

Why not get people together who deal with recruitment and retention, after all the "gaps" will be firmly on your agenda.

So, this is a call for HR Professionals in the Automotive world to join us. We are planning a face to face meeting in the coming months. We have a venue but we think it may be too small to fit everyone in.

Imagine all that experience and knowledge in one room!

It doesn't matter whether you are an ambassador, a supporter, or a corporate partner, or not, we want you to be part of the solutions too. After all we are in it together. Collaboration is key!

If you are interested in getting together with your peers, contact dave@ready4work.uk or julie@ready4work.uk #StepUp22 #bridgethegap #nextgen #fantasticfuture22 #futuretalent #collaborationiskey #schoolofthough4 #ready4work

Calling all HR Professionals Let’s work together to address the shortage of people coming into the automotive industry

APPRENTICESHIPS

The Ford Masters Apprenticeship Programme (FMAP) has been running for over 11 years and successfully recruits 450 new Apprentices into the Ford dealer network every year.

Today's cars are the miracles of modern engineering. There is more computer technology in a standard family car than there was in the first Apollo rocket that took man to the Moon. On the FMAP, you can be assured that your son or daughter will receive the highest standard of training needed to work with Ford vehicles. https://www.ford.co.uk/experience-ford/careers/assessment-information/apprentices

Ambassadors why not step up and be a volunteer for a day at the British Motorshow

18-21 August 2022

Taking technology into schools and colleges in a new unique way.

www.schoolofthought.info Issue Two: April 2022

A

The MBASSADOR

Issue One January 2022

Bringing the Automotive Industry in to schools and colleges

If you have any great stories or just need information or support just contact us: dave@ready4work.uk julie@ready4work.uk www.schoolofthought.info

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