Skills shortages are not unique to South Africa. From the United Kingdom to Germany, the automotive repair industry faces a common challenge: attracting new talent, retaining skilled technicians and ensuring that existing workers can keeppace with rapidly changing vehicle technology.
Dev Moodley, Chairman of the South African Motor Body Repairers’ Association (SAMBRA), and Juan Hanekom, SAMBRA National Director, recently returned from a fact-finding trip that included Automechanika Frankfurt, the Association Internationaledes Réparateurs en Carrosserie (AIRC) conference and industry engagements in the UK. The visit reinforced an important point: while training systems differ in their details, successful skills development depends on combining technical knowledge, practicallearning and workplace experience, while creating pathways for people to enter, progress and remain in the industry.
“For South Africa, the international comparison is valuable because it shows that we are working towards the same fundamental objectives as established automotive markets. The opportunity is to identify where other countries have introducedadditional measures that could strengthen our own skills pipeline,” says Hanekom.
The question is not simply how we train more artisans, but how we attract the right candidates, develop their competence and build a sustainable skills pipeline that meets the needs of an increasingly sophisticated vehicle parc.
“Vehicle technology is changing what it means to be a competent repair technician,” says Hanekom. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), electric vehicles, electronics, software-dependent functions and new vehicle materials are introducingadditional complexity into motor body repair.
A qualification remains an essential foundation, but it cannot be the end of the learning journey. Technicians need opportunities to update their knowledge and practical skills throughout their careers as vehicle technologies, repair proceduresand safety requirements evolve.
“Competence is no longer something that can be measured by a qualification alone. Qualifications provide the foundation, but technicians must continue learning as vehicle technology and repair requirements change. The industry needs tomake ongoing technical development an integral part of a repairer's career,” Hanekom explains.
For SAMBRA, this means pursuing two complementary priorities: developing new entrants through apprenticeships and occupational training, while providing existing technicians with accessible, targeted technical development. Strengtheningartisan development, recognition of prior learning (ARPL) and access to relevant training will remain important to ensuring that the industry can respond to changing skills requirements.
Training capacity is only part of the solution
A particularly valuable lesson emerged during the visit to Edinburgh College in Scotland. Despite established facilities and structured automotive training pathways, attracting sufficient learners into the relevant trades remains a challenge.
Hanekom says this is a reminder that investment in training infrastructure and qualifications, while necessary, does not automatically produce the number of skilled artisans the industry needs. The pipeline must also help young people understandthe opportunities available and make informed choices before committing to a particular trade.
The UK’s Future Skills approach offers an interesting example of how this can be addressed. By giving learners introductory exposure to different trades through shorter programmes, prospective entrants can explore their interests and suitabilitybefore committing to a longer training pathway. This can help learners make more informed decisions and reduce the risk of spending several years pursuing a trade that does not suit them.
Hanekom says similar approaches could be worth exploring in South Africa, where earlier exposure to the range of automotive occupations could help young people understand the differences between vehicle maintenance, accident body repairand paint repair before choosing a specialisation.
“The lesson is that we need to help young people make informed career choices as early as possible. A short introductory programme can give them a better understanding of what a trade involves before they commit to a longer qualification.This could help improve trade selection, reduce avoidable dropout and encourage more young people to find a pathway that suits their abilities and interests,” he says.
Earlier exposure is only the first step, however. Learners must then be supported through structured technical training, simulated practical work and meaningful workplace experience to develop the competence required by employers.
Connecting training with the workplace
South Africa’s training model is already closely aligned with international practice, combining underpinning knowledge, practical learning in simulated work environments and workplace exposure. The international comparison reinforces theimportance of ensuring that these elements work together effectively.
Training providers can deliver technical knowledge and practical instruction, but workshops provide the real-world environment in which learners apply what they have learnt, develop sound judgement and build confidence in their abilities.
“We cannot leave skills development to training providers alone. Employers have a critical role to play in giving learners meaningful workplace experience, helping them apply what they have learnt and creating opportunities for experiencedtechnicians to pass their knowledge on to the next generation,” Hanekom says.
Closer alignment between training provision and the needs of repair businesses is essential, alongside sufficient opportunities for learners to gain meaningful workplace experience. Employers also need to be recognised as active partnersin developing the next generation of skilled technicians.
Developing artisans into mentors and business owners
Germany offers another important lesson: skills development need not end when an artisan achieves a trade qualification. Its Meister pathway provides an additional level of professional development, equipping experienced tradespeople withbroader business, leadership and mentoring capabilities.
This creates opportunities for skilled artisans to supervise and mentor apprentices, contribute to the development of future tradespeople and, where appropriate, establish and manage their own businesses.
For South Africa’s motor body repair sector, this raises an important question about how experienced technicians can be supported to progress beyond technical competence into mentorship, business management and entrepreneurship.
“Developing an artisan is a significant achievement, but we should also consider what comes next. Experienced technicians have valuable knowledge to pass on, while those who want to establish their own businesses need more than technicalexpertise alone. Germany’s approach highlights the value of building business and mentoring capabilities into an artisan’s longer-term career development,” says Hanekom.
Such progression could help strengthen the industry on several fronts: improving the transfer of skills between generations, building the capacity of employers to train apprentices and supporting the development of sustainable repair businesses.
South Africa should learn from international experience without assuming that solutions developed elsewhere can simply be replicated locally. Our training capacity, business environment and vehicle market have their own realities, and anynew initiatives must be suited to these conditions.
“Skills development cannot be treated as a once-off intervention. It requires a connected system that attracts young people, helps them choose the right pathway, develops their technical competence, supports workplace learning and createsopportunities for experienced artisans to mentor others and grow their careers or businesses.
“For SAMBRA, the priority is to help ensure that skills development keeps pace with the realities facing repair businesses. We need to build stronger entry pathways for new talent while also helping existing technicians adapt to changingtechnologies and progress professionally. These are complementary priorities, and both are necessary for the long-term sustainability of the sector,” concludes Hanekom.