Policy Paper | FROM STICK SHIFT TO SKILL SHIFT? Reskilling of automotive's employees in the eyes of the industry's stakeholders

There is no time to wait in retraining the employees of car manufacturers if we do not want our car industry to fossilize and disappear. Writes Rebeka Hengalová, research fellow at EUROPEUM Institute.

The required skills of employees in the automotive industry are changing fundamentally with digitisation, automation and the transition to electromobility. The transformation of the car industry may have negative effects on employment in this strategic sector if we do not start training and reskilling on a large scale. Inaction can jeopardise one of the largest sectors of the Czech economy, while a proactive approach can strengthen its competitiveness and resilience in the global market. Nevertheless, a national strategy for employment management and reskilling is missing despite the automotive industry's players' desire to cooperate formally. This policy paper describes the possibilities to go through the transformation without losing the majority of employees and recommends, among other things, (i) to develop a formal strategy for retraining employees in strategic sectors, including the automotive industry, (ii) to retrain continuously and to join forces with employers and the state, and (iii) to strengthen the position of the Czech automotive industry through increased expertise and emphasis on research and development.   

“If the automotive industry is to remain the stable motor for employment in Europe, large-scale and timely sector-wide and national skill-building and reskilling strategies should be established and implemented. These developments should also be reflected in the recruitment and retention strategies. Instead of job loss, let us focus on skill shift.” 

Read the whole Policy paper here:

You can see the Policy paper infographics here:

DATA 

TACKLING OBSTACLES

Rebeka Hengalová
Research Fellow