This week, representatives from the Island’s motor industry were questioned about the proposed introduction of periodic inspections and were asked if private workshops would be able to carry out the checks.
However, Miles Jude, general manager at Derek Warwick Honda, said that over the past two decades it had become increasingly difficult to recruit suitable employees.
He also said that if the government wanted privately owned garages to carry out the tests, they would need to consider bringing staff into the
Island on licence.
‘A lot of them are already saying that we cannot get enough technicians as it is – so immediately, if six or eight technicians are required for MOT testing, I believe that the government needs to look at licenses for those people,’ he said.
‘If the government set up their own test station and took six to eight technicians out of our already depleted pool of technicians, that would leave us, as a trade, in a position where we cannot fulfil our requirement for maintaining vehicles.’
Mr Jude also relayed concerns from small, independent garages which may not have the space in their premises to carry out the checks.
‘I do not believe we have the capability to operate as test centres. If you look at the eight responses on the internet, many of which are from very small independents, they could not put a test-centre facility in their establishment,’ he said.
‘Hence, why many of them say that they should not need [large] brake-testing machines, which obviously is not going to happen because if someone scrutinises it, they are going to say our tests are not at a level that it needs to be.
‘Most of the people who say that they would do it just have not got the premises or infrastructure to be able to do it, which then only leaves a few of the larger players. But the biggest issue or threat for us as an industry is staffing, as you have probably seen from responses.’
Following questions from the Growth, Housing and Environment Scrutiny panel chairman, St Brelade Constable Mike Jackson, Mr Jude added that the number of people applying for vehicle maintenance courses at Highlands College was decreasing.
‘A lot has changed over the years. Twenty years ago, the average application for 12 spaces on the motor-vehicle course was about 50 and they cherry-picked the 12 best to enrol,’ he said.
‘Now, I think they are struggling to get 12 people to actually put on [the course] so the general calibre of those who are coming through is at a much lower level.
‘To be a technician now, with vehicle diagnostic systems, it is a much more technical job than it ever used to be.’
