Capricorn’s State of the Nation report offers insights into tackling the skills shortage, explains Group Chief Executive Officer, David Fraser

This year’s State of the Nation Report provides a fascinating insight into an automotive industry that is battling a serious skills shortage.
Many of our Members have turned to apprentices as a way to fill this gap, with more than half (52 percent) saying the reason they took one on was the lack of qualified tradespeople.
In the hunt for qualified technicians, some Capricorn Members have even begun searching overseas, looking to sponsor experienced mechanics and other tradespeople to fill long-term vacancies.
But what more can we do? One idea is to widen the range of homegrown talent we are able to attract. Why, for example, don’t more women work in our industry? Just six percent of workshops we surveyed have a female mechanic and only 12 percent employ a female apprentice.
Yes, automotive is not for everyone. Yes, it has traditionally been a male-dominated environment. But it doesn’t have to be.
The challenge is to make automotive careers more attractive to a more diverse range of people. We need to create opportunities and challenge perceptions that automotive is only for the blokes.
It’s not the only solution, and it’s not a quick fix. But providing opportunities and encouraging a more diverse workforce will make our industry a much better, happier place to be.
We discuss this idea in more depth in State of the Nation, along with many other fascinating topics, so have a read of it when you get the chance.
We’re going to be launching the full report in the October edition of Ignition and it will also be available through our website, so keep an eye out.
Yours in cooperation,
David Fraser
Group CEO – Capricorn Society Ltd

For more on Capricorn Society membership, visit www.capricorn.coop