The workforce in the British automotive industry is the most adaptable in Europe, according to a new report - but the boss of Toyota Motor Europe’s London office says action is needed to address skills shortages and boost investment in research and development following Brexit.
The report by the Automotive Council, a partnership between the automotive industry and government, surveyed the workforce of UK automotive companies using eight key performance indicators, to rank how attractive the UK is for car firms to invest in compared with other countries.
The UK finished in top position in Europe, and second overall behind the US, with strong labour relations, the willingness of workers to adapt to changing markets and flexibility in work patterns all cited as key advantages.
However, the report did cite several risks to future competitiveness, including the shortage of skilled engineers, the level of government investment into R&D and the possible decline of political stability following Brexit. It said that it was essential to attract and develop new skills so that the UK industry can lead the shift to electrification, autonomy and digitisation.
Tony Walker, Toyota Motor Europe’s London office boss and chair of the Automotive Council’s business environment and skills group, said the report showed how the UK industry’s workforce “helped drive the sector’s success”.
He added: “We have a hard-won reputation for developing and making high-quality, cutting-edge vehicles, engines and components, supported by strong collaboration with government through the Automotive Council.
“During this period of profound change, that collaboration will be more important than ever. The focus now must be on attracting and nurturing the right skills to meet our ambitions, and on securing a Brexit deal that delivers the political stability needed to attract future investment.”
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Brexit: what it means for the UK car industry
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very nice post and detail work done by the article and it shows how good you are in writing good stuff please check buy facebook page likes and check my work
No accountability 2
Interesting what "scotty5" wrote. The least adaptive, & most overpaid & unionised workforce (Germany) produces the most (5.65m) !!!! Why????? (the Germans even have a union rep on the board making decisions together with the management)
Where as the most adaptive, the least unionised & less well paid workforce (the UK) produces the least number of cars!!!!!
No accountability.
Here we go again - a body who's acts for both British Automotive industry and British Government say the British workers are best in Europe - amazing.
That's why JLR said they wanted to shut a factory back in 2009 and why they've built a plant in Slovakia? Production stats from last year:
Germany - 5.65m
Spain - 2.29m
France - 1.75m
UK - 1.67m
Czech Rep - 1.41m
Rubbing salt into the wound, the same body say US come out top. They ovbviously haven't visited Detroit lately or read yesterdays news that GM are about to close more factories and cut 15% of the workforce.
Has anyone bothered to ask how they arrived at their report's conclusion?