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This week is National Work Life Week (1st – 5th October 2018) which encourages companies to think about their employees’ wellbeing and happiness.
A recent survey has revealed that while money is still the biggest motivator in career choices, 55% of us cite good working hours and flexibility as a major contributing factor. Increasingly, in our culture of always being ‘on’, people are striving for a healthier work-life balance, with employment that fits in around their life.
To create this better work-life balance, more and more people are opting to become freelancers within their chosen career path. In fact by 2020, one in seven of us will be self-employed. While freelancing was once considered something which only marketing, IT and accounting execs could do, today that isn’t the case and this new way of working is creeping across all industries.
Significantly, freelancing is gaining traction within the automotive industry with increasing numbers of vehicle technicians and MOT Testers taking the self-employed route. Over the last decade, there have been widespread reports on the shortage of skills within the automotive industry. British car production is rising, however, there is a deficit in the number of technicians to service these vehicles, particularly as cars become more technical and electric vehicles enter the market.
Car manufacturers and garage owners simply can’t hire the skilled talent, but empty MOT bays, through holiday leave, sickness or just a general shortage of skilled workers, could mean a large financial hit to garages. As a solution, over the last couple of years, garage owners have increasingly turned to temporary on-tap workforce without committing to costly overheads.
But what’s in it for the temporary vehicle technician? A stint here and there in garages miles apart? Nowadays nothing is further from the truth. For those who want longer periods of employment in a garage or dealership close to home, the work is out there.
For those who have already begun a career as a temporary vehicle technician, they have been offered a new lease of life with many citing role variety, flexibility and a greater work-life balance as key advantages. There is also greater potential to earn more as a temporary worker, around £10k more than the average vehicle technician.
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