Dylan RobertsonEasy2Recruit said that international recruitment is key to ending the skills shortage which has been affecting UK workshops.
The company said that many workshops are experiencing strong demand, but lack the technician capacity to meet it.
It has placed more than 100 technicians into UK workshops from abroad, at independent garages, service networks and multi-site operators.
The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) found that 16,000 technician roles are currently unfilled across UK workshops.
Easy2Recruit warned that recruitment challenges are impacting workshop performance, with three independent garages recently closing due to staffing issues.
Ambi Singh (pictured, left), CEO of Easy2Recruit, said: “They were busy, had the work coming in, but they couldn’t get the staff to support it.
“When that pressure builds over time, it becomes very difficult to sustain the business.
“What stood out is that all three had spoken to us around 18 months ago but decided not to move forward with international recruitment because the idea felt unfamiliar and they thought it would be difficult.
“In reality, it isn’t. We take care of everything from start to finish.
“When you’re consistently under pressure, trying to manage workload without the right number of technicians, it affects turnaround times, customer experience and ultimately revenue.
“With networks like In’n’Out Autocentres, we’re working continuously, placing technicians every six to 12 months as they expand and manage staff turnover.
“That approach gives businesses far more stability than reacting when a vacancy appears.
“This isn’t about replacing what the UK is doing with training and apprenticeships – that remains essential.
“It’s about aligning local recruitment with international recruitment to maintain capacity and support long-term growth.
“The conversation is starting to shift from ‘how do I fill this role today’ to ‘how do I make sure I’ve got the right team in place six or 12 months from now’.
“That shift is what’s helping businesses stay ahead of the problem.”
Easy2Recruit said the process takes 16 weeks from candidate selection to start date.
