EV transition drives apprentice recruitment as industry skills up for ‘growth decade’

Top employers in the UK automotive sector are investing in a major skills drive to grow apprenticeship numbers by almost a sixth in 2025, according to a new survey by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), as manufacturers embark on a ‘green growth decade’.

With the UK celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (10-16 February), there are few more exciting places for apprentices to be than automotive, as the sector innovates to deliver a new generation of zero emission vehicles. More than £20 billion of investment has been committed to Britain’s EV transition in the past two years alone¹ – bringing with it demand for a highly skilled workforce adept in the latest technologies.

Such demand is reflected by more than 550 new apprentices already having joined the sector this academic year, with an additional 740 apprenticeships still available. Among the major automotive employers surveyed by SMMT,²  apprenticeship numbers are set to  increase by almost a sixth (16%). That growth builds on previous years, with a 40.8% rise in new apprenticeship starts in 2023 alone, according to the latest full year of apprenticeship data³ – a trend that will continue to bring long-term, well paid and rewarding careers in the UK over the  next decade.

From R&D and manufacturing to the supply chain, maintenance and repair, there are hundreds of new and exciting opportunities up for grabs, with some highly skilled positions most in need including design and development engineers, EV technicians and specialists in batteries and power electronics. These roles reflect an ever greener industry, with more than 180 different zero emission vehicle models – cars, vans, trucks and buses – already available in the UK and more coming in 2025.

Faster decarbonisation and green growth, however, requires a workforce that’s equipped to drive it. Apprenticeship training must keep up to date with the very latest vehicle technologies, including how to design, build, test, maintain and repair the latest vehicles This makes the skills transition a top priority for industry – and the launch of Skills England and the new Growth & Skills Levy will help improve provision and access to automotive training for businesses of all sizes and in every part of the UK.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “Britain’s automotive sector is on the cusp of a ‘green growth decade’ with billions being invested in EVs and, crucially, in a new generation of talent to design, build and maintain them. There is little doubt that automotive is one of the world’s most exciting industries and, as we seek growth, we need new-skilled apprentices that can grow with us. Our promise is well-paid, rewarding careers for years to come.”

As SMMT set out in Vision 2035, industry is ready to deliver more than £50 billion worth of growth – green growth – in the next decade with an industrial strategy that has UK Automotive at its heart. Green skills for a greener future is a key pledge of the strategy, which must:

• Enable the development of future domestic talent while retaining and upskilling the existing workforce;
• Raise the profile of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), automotive and manufacturing subjects in Further Education;
• Deliver an online National Upskilling Platform that allows automotive businesses of all sizes to be informed of and take part in upskilling; and
• Reform the former Apprenticeship Levy to support upskilling existing workers – which may include former apprentices – with short-term training in priority areas such as electrification and digitisation.

Notes
¹ SMMT, UK Automotive manufacturing charges up with £20bn investment boost in 2023.
² National Apprenticeship Week 2025 survey of SMMT members with respondents – which represent 63% of the UK automotive workforce and employing 4,500 apprentices – including major car and commercial vehicle brands which manufacture or operate in the UK (January 2025)
³ SMMT, Sustainability Report 2024.