2023-12-07 09:23:37
Concern among the owners of mechanical workshops of the Girona counties. The problem is not that they lack work, but staff to be able to do it. In fact, many recognize that they have to say no to customers, because they don’t give the scope and it becomes difficult for them to find mechanics. From the Association of Vehicle and Boat Repair Trade Entrepreneurs of the Girona regions (CORVE) recognize that it is a headache that many of the associates express. The problem, they explain, is that there is no generational relief, but also that many of the mechanics who leave the classrooms of Professional Training they prefer to go to other sectors. For this reason, they are committed to offering more places in institutes, in order to encourage more young people to learn the trade.
The lack of mechanics in the workshops of the Girona regions has become a headache for workshop owners. There are fewer and fewer professionalsbut paradoxically, there are more students in the degree courses offered by the Girona institutes. This lack of staff directly affects many businesses who have to say no to some customers because they cannot assure them of having the vehicle ready in a reasonable amount of time.
In addition, the technology of recent years has meant an extra difficulty, since hybrid and electric engines demand different solutions. From the bossl CORVE they explain that this lack of professionals is a problem they have detected recently and link it to that many of the students opt for other sectors.
The president of the entity, Jordi Solàconsiders that the technology of vehicles is not a problem for mechanics because “s’adapten” and recognizes that now the office is “much more tied to technology”. “What is a reality is that we are changing the stigma of the mechanic. It is no longer a job of hands and dirty overalls, but requires technological know-how. We try to convey this to the new batch so that they become more interested in this trade”points out.
Lack of generational relief
Although the mechanical workshops are empty, the classrooms of Professional Training of studies related to automotive and mechanics are full. In fact, there are 324 places available in all the middle and higher education courses offered in the demarcation. Only 17 seats in all these courses are empty as of today. The deputy head of FP studies at the Montilivi institute in GironaJosep Miquel, in some courses even “there is a waiting list”. Specifically, there are six centers (two of them private) located in Figueres, Palafrugell (Baix Empordà) and Girona that offer VET courses in‘Electromechanics, Car body i automotive.
This means that the problem of the lack of professionals does not come from the lack of educational provision. In fact, Josep Miquel assures that “students usually get a work contract” as soon as they finish their studies. The head of FP studies at Montilivi remembers that there is “an issue of attitude and one of aptitude”, but when the two converge it is easy to enter the world of work directly because “there is a lot of demand” for professionals.
Faced with the high level of job placement and the interest among young students, the Montilivi high school has decided “duplicate the places” of the higher degree of Automotive. This decision comes after the management team of the center detected that there was “many middle school students who finished and wanted to continue studying”. But the offer ofAutomotive in Montilivi it was limited to only 16 places and that implied “a tap” between those who finished middle school and those who continued to do higher school.
To Joseph Michael a possible reason that justifies the lack of professionals in mechanical workshops is the lack of generational relief. Although it is true that the classrooms are full, “Baby Boomers Enter Retirement Point” and this is a determining factor, since more labor is retiring than entering working age. Another factor that could determine the lack of professionals is the technological change that the sector is experiencing. The head of studies remembers that until recently the mechanics were in charge of the electrical part of the vehicles. Now, these professionals need training in “electricity, computer science and understanding of electronics”. That is why the Montilivi teacher assures that the new functions of the professionals are “complexes”.
While it is true that studies give them the basics to learn these new functions, Miquel insists that he should be a mechanic “it’s a job” and that’s why you need to study in classrooms, but also learn in workshops. He considers that the change to the FP Dual has helped to progress in this learning of the trade, but that once the studies are finished “it takes two good years” to master the work. Technological evolution, however, means that “in four or five years they will have to learn new things that did not exist when they went through high school.”
The institute has also looked for an alternative to respond to the lack of professionals in the sector. It is a “temporary solution”as detailed by Josep Miquel, which consists of obtaining a level 3 certificate of professionalism, which is equivalent to a higher degree ofautomotive. These certificates are made through the Employment Service of the Generalitat of Catalonia and from high school they do the training. This year, however, they did not achieve the minimum number of registrations for this certificate of professionalism and they did not do it. “If we can next year, we will offer it again”says the head of studies.
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