How HiQ Tyres & Autocare is driving the next generation of technicians

With youth unemployment a growing concern, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a new wave of measures to help encourage young people into apprenticeships, which is welcome news for independent garage owners in urgent need of new technicians.¹ But while apprenticeships offer a valuable route into the industry, they also present a challenge: how can independent garage owners find time to train the next generation of technicians?

As part of a nationwide network of more than 120 autocentres, HiQ Tyres & Autocare’s franchisees benefit from a portfolio of training. This includes programme and systems training, business and operational capability building through to product and service training and legislation and compliance. Franchisees also benefit from the experience of the wider network, with many centre managers communicating with each other to offer personal guidance from their own experiences.

The challenge for garage owners extends beyond recruitment. Training is now more complicated, in the wake of electric drivetrains, manufacturer-specific fitments and technological advancements that are often specific to each model. At a time where skilled technicians are difficult to replace, garage owners may struggle to find time to develop the forecasted influx of apprentices.

As such, the Prime Minister’s announcement presents both opportunities and challenges for garage owners. HiQ Tyres & Autocare’s training offering and business management support ensure that apprentices are trained to a high standard. This benefits garage owners, who can bolster their workforce with fully qualified technicians once the apprentices qualify, and is also beneficial to the apprentices themselves, who gain expertise and can familiarise themselves with their future work environment.

“Taking on apprentices is rewarding and is a beneficial long-term strategy, but the initial time investment can be difficult to manage,” explains Andy Mellers, Managing Director, HiQ Tyres & Autocare Hedge End. “We’re fortunate to be supported by HiQ with training programs and networking opportunities that can help our apprentices to get up to speed without detrimental impact to the business.”

For Andy, being part of the network has also supported the growth of his own business.

“Time is money, and when you’re running a garage it can be harder to choose whether to spend time training a new member of staff or use that time to take on jobs. Being a part of the network has enabled me to expand to three HiQ sites, which allows me to place my freshly qualified staff where there’s demand.”

Andy’s team have developed a working relationship with South Hampshire College Group, who trust the nationally recognisable HiQ Tyres & Autocare brand to provide the training and career development opportunities to allow its students to flourish.

One such example is Louis Townrow, who joined Andy’s team as an apprentice and was named Apprentice Tyre Technician of the Year at the prestigious Annual NTDA Tyre Industry Awards last year. In the same year, he had the opportunity to attend the HiQ head office to meet with other apprentices within the network.

He said: “Before joining HiQ, I was working in a garage without progression opportunities. Now, I can fix anything. It still feels like we are a family-run garage, but I benefit from all of the experience and the recognition of the HiQ brand. I will definitely take the opportunity to visit the head office again, it was great to get insight from other apprentices’ experiences. Andy and I joke that I’ll still be here in 20 years, but it’s realistic given the opportunities I have here.”

For those considering how joining a franchise network could support their next stage of growth, HiQ Tyres & Autocare offers franchisees access to training, operational support and a nationwide network of fellow business owners.

Are you ready to drive your business further? Find out how becoming a HiQ Tyres & Autocare franchisee could accelerate your growth. Visit HiQ’s Franchise With Us page to learn more and register your interest.

¹PM: ‘From today Britain will value the hard hat as much as the graduation cap’