Book Description

An international team of researchers studied the following aspects of training in the United Kingdom's motor vehicle repair and sales sector: structure and characteristics; institutional and social context; relationship to the labor market; changing structural, economic, and organizational conditions; and training/recruitment and relationship to the British education system. Government statistics were analyzed, and case studies were conducted of five very different companies, including a small franchise of a major auto maker, a large dealership/service center, a vehicle electrical system repairer that is 1 of 700 outlets, and a family business. Each case study included a profile of the company, its personnel management and vocational policies, and its provisions for continuing/ongoing training. The study concluded that the British automotive industry exemplified the demise of the country's vocational and education training system. Although the recent national system of vocational qualifications and other initiatives have promised to improve the level and consistency of training provision in the automotive industry, the main issue now facing individual dealerships remains that of finding the resources to invest in the level of training required to produce the skilled employees demanded by vehicle manufacturers, government standards, and market pressures. (Twenty-two tables are included.) (MN)