The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) urging the government ensure the people maintaining, repairing, diagnosing, and recovering them hold demonstrable, auditable competence for consumer confidence and road safety.
The IMI’s TechSafe standard was identified as the practical mechanism to deliver this.
The IMI brought together senior industry figures on Thursday 14th May 2026 for a high-level policy panel session and discussion focused on the future of automotive workforce safety.
Convened by IMI CEO, Nick Connor, the event was attended by Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Richard Holden MP, alongside an expert panel of employers, legal professionals, fleet operators and academic researchers.
The areas involved included connected vehicles, automated vehicle technology, Electric vehicles and alternative fuels.
“The automotive sector is undergoing the most significant period of change in its history with electrification, connected vehicles, autonomous driving, alternative fuels and new digital systems reshaping not only the vehicles on our roads, but the skills, standards and responsibilities required of the workforce,” said Nick Connor, CEO of the IMI.
“It is now a question of public safety, consumer confidence, economic growth and industrial readiness that workforce competence is at the heart of automotive-specific regulation.
“IMI TechSafe is already recognised as the practical mechanism to audit workforce competence. It could, therefore, be the right solution to help government, industry and the public manage the risks and opportunities of new vehicle technologies.”
