Addressing the Heavy Vehicle technician shortage with fully funded Skills Bootcamp courses

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RH Commercial Vehicles (RHCV) is helping national training provider Remit Training to bridge the skills gap in the Heavy Vehicle sector with a unique skills conversion course designed to create a new generation of Heavy Vehicle (HV) Technicians.

In partnership with leading heavy vehicle manufacturer Renault Trucks UK, Remit Training is offering trained light vehicle technicians the opportunity to convert their skills and gain access to Heavy Vehicle job opportunities in a growing industry. Funded by the Government the courses are free for participants.

In a sector that is experiencing rapid technological change through the introduction of electrification and automation, building a future workforce with the required skills is critical to support the UK economy.

The fully-funded conversion course comes in the form of a Skills Bootcamp, part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee and Plan for Jobs initiative. The initiative has been created in response to the number of people that are expected to change roles or update their skills as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and to support future jobs growth.

For those looking to change career, the Heavy Vehicle Skills Bootcamp course represents a flexible way to gain high-quality, sector-specific skills and a fast track to a guaranteed interview with a local employer. There is currently a high demand for skilled technicians in the heavy vehicle sector, with organisations keen to take on and train new talent wherever they can. 

To help recruit a new generation of HV technicians, Remit Training is offering a 12-week Skills Bootcamp that supports the conversion to becoming a Heavy Vehicle Technician. The course provides the theoretical knowledge needed before technicians complete their practical training with an employer.

Delivery of the 12-week course includes 12 hours a week of online sessions and tutor-led bite-size virtual classes. These can be done from home and are available during evenings to fit around existing work commitments and covers the theory elements of servicing and inspection, electronics, electrical systems within vehicles and bespoke EV awareness and safety.

On completion of the Skills Bootcamp course, the practical training element will be completed on the job, once the technician is employed in a heavy vehicle setting.

Sue Pittock, Remit’s Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer such an important training course to help fill a crucial industry skills gap. We’ve worked closely with our HV partners to provide this fantastic opportunity for qualified light vehicle technicians to work for some of the world’s leading manufacturers of heavy, commercial, emergency and military vehicles.”

Tony Owen, Commercial Academy Manager Renault Trucks UK, said, “The dealers in our network want a stable workforce; they want to bring people into our industry that want to stay.”

“We’re competitive on pay, but there is a shortage of technicians at present, so we are running these courses because the Light Vehicle Technicians we have recruited in this way previously have become some of our most competent Heavy Vehicle Technicians now.”

“By training the technicians in-house and with Remit’s support, we can be sure of the skills that are required for the depot operation. For the technician, it’s not just about a job now. There is a real opportunity to grow and to see another side of the business, with the potential for further progression in future.”

With courses starting in August and running through to the end of 2021, Remit Training plans to recruit more than 500 Light Vehicle Technicians on to Skills Bootcamps who want to upskill and enter the Heavy Vehicle sector.

If you’re a passionate technician working with cars, plant, vans or motorbikes or you have a Level 3 qualification in Light Vehicle Maintenance or other similar qualifications, the Heavy Vehicle Skills Bootcamp can offer you a unique opportunity to become a Heavy Vehicle Technician and work on some of the most powerful and advanced machines in the world.

Click here to find out more and apply: Skills Bootcamps – Remit Training

Skills Bootcamp courses are part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee and Plan for Jobs. They are flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build sector-specific skills and fast track to an interview with a local employer.

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