Top employers in the UK automotive sector are investing in a
major skills drive to grow apprenticeship numbers by almost a
sixth in 2025, according to a new survey by the Society of Motor
Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), as manufacturers embark on a
‘green growth decade'.
With the UK celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (10-16
February), there are few more exciting places for apprentices to
be than automotive, as the sector innovates to deliver a new
generation of zero emission vehicles. More than £20 billion of
investment has been committed to Britain's EV transition in the
past two years alone1 – bringing with it demand for a
highly skilled workforce adept in the latest technologies.
Such demand is reflected by more than 550 new apprentices already
having joined the sector this academic year, with an additional
740 apprenticeships still available. Among the major automotive
employers surveyed by SMMT,2 apprenticeship
numbers are set to increase by almost a sixth (16%). That
growth builds on previous years, with a 40.8% rise in new
apprenticeship starts in 2023 alone, according to the latest full
year of apprenticeship data3 – a trend that will
continue to bring long-term, well paid and rewarding careers in
the UK over the next decade.
From R&D and manufacturing to the supply chain, maintenance
and repair, there are hundreds of new and exciting opportunities
up for grabs, with some highly skilled positions most in
need including design and development engineers, EV technicians
and specialists in batteries and power electronics. These roles
reflect an ever greener industry, with more than 180 different
zero emission vehicle models – cars, vans, trucks and buses –
already available in the UK and more coming in 2025.
Faster decarbonisation and green growth, however, requires a
workforce that's equipped to drive it. Apprenticeship training
must keep up to date with the very latest vehicle technologies,
including how to design, build, test, maintain and repair the
latest vehicles This makes the skills transition a top priority
for industry – and the launch of Skills England and the new
Growth & Skills Levy will help improve provision and access
to automotive training for businesses of all sizes and in every
part of the UK.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said,
“Britain's automotive sector is on the cusp of a ‘green growth
decade' with billions being invested in EVs and, crucially, in a
new generation of talent to design, build and maintain them.
There is little doubt that automotive is one of the world's most
exciting industries and, as we seek growth, we need new-skilled
apprentices that can grow with us. Our promise is well-paid,
rewarding careers for years to come.”
As SMMT set out in Vision 2035, industry is
ready to deliver more than £50 billion worth of growth – green
growth – in the next decade with an industrial strategy that has
UK Automotive at its heart. Green skills for a greener future is
a key pledge of the strategy, which must:
- Enable the development of future domestic talent while
retaining and upskilling the existing workforce;
- Raise the profile of STEM (science, technology, engineering
and mathematics), automotive and manufacturing subjects in
Further Education;
- Deliver an online National Upskilling Platform that allows
automotive businesses of all sizes to be informed of and take
part in upskilling; and
- Reform the former Apprenticeship Levy to support upskilling
existing workers – which may include former apprentices – with
short-term training in priority areas such as electrification and
digitisation.
Notes to editors
1 SMMT, UK Automotive manufacturing
charges up with £20bn investment boost in 2023.
2 National Apprenticeship Week 2025 survey of SMMT members with
respondents – which represent 63% of the UK automotive workforce
and employing 4,500 apprentices – including major car and
commercial vehicle brands which manufacture or operate in the UK
(January 2025)
3 SMMT, Sustainability Report 2024.
